Let's See Who's Standing When The Sun Comes Up
by TheResurrectionist
Summary: Architect!Dean meets Guide!Sam and mutual dislike ensues. However, getting trapped on a mountain together kind of brings people together. Title from a Foreigner song.
1. Chapter 1

A/N So, I should be writing JNSQ right now, but I was lazy and this plot bunny popped up. Should it continue? :)

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Dean sat in the pleasant waiting room feeling anything but pleasant.

He knew it wasn't fashionable to be grumpy, and lord know he'd tried, but from what he could hear from the other side of the room where the hallway turned into an office, he wasn't the only one.

Honestly, he was a little bit pissed off. From what he could tell, the only reason he couldn't go out to see the land he was building on was because the tour guide wouldn't take him.

For Christ's sake. All he wanted was to walk around a little bit, survey the area. It always got his thought process going, and that was why the top dogs hired him. He was damn good at his job, and he wasn't gonna let some stupid hippy tour guide stand in his way.

If he'd been a little more reckless (and not wearing Armani) he would have grabbed a car and gone up himself, but rain caused mud and mud fucking sucked when you had to practically drive up a mountain.

The voices behind the thin door were getting louder, until he could hear the distinctly male one of who Dean assumed was the only tour guide. "The best." Larry had assured him. All the other guides had gone for the day, and the nature park was practically empty because of the rain anyways.

Dean tried pacing, but he was an impatient person and had quite a temper. Against his better judgement, he silently walked up to the door, listening in on the conversation.

"I don't care if he's Michelle Obama in a suit. I'm not taking him!" The tour guide's voice rang out angrily.

"For the last time, Sam!" Larry said, sharp but at a volume that Dean wouldn't have been able to hear before. "He makes ten times what you do in a year in one month. Just take him up the damn side of the mountain and let him do what he needs to. This temper tantrum is childish. What's up with you today?"

There was a shuffle as the tour guide or Larry moved.

"What gives him the right to build right on the park?" Sam asked desperately after a second, angering Dean. "Who does he think he is?"

Dean had enough, choosing that time to throw the door open and walk in.

"I'm the one who can fire your ass in ten seconds if you don't stop acting like you're fourteen." He told the guide coldly, flicking his eyes over the kid. He was tall, wearing flannel and jeans. Floppy brown hair framed expressive hazel eyes that Dean immediately looked away from.

"Sam." Larry said a little shakily and in warning at the same time."This is Mr. Winchester from the architect's office. He will be overseeing the new mall project."

Sam's cheeks flushed in anger and he stood up. Dean glared at him after realizing the kid was at least six inches taller.

"So you're the asshole who's gonna tear down half the forest, huh?" Sam asked sarcastically, practically spitting the words at him. "I'd sure love to shake your hand."

Dean looked at Larry reproachfully, wondering why he wasn't firing this kid already. "Not me." He said levelly. "But I work for the people who are, thank you very much."

The kid's nostrils flared, and he looked at Larry. "Make someone else take him." He pretty much begged, eyes flicking back to Dean in distaste.

"Can't." Larry said. "They're all gone for the day."

Sam frowned at the office, looking at his watch for a second. "Then you take him." He told Larry. "I'm on break in half an hour anyways." He glared right at Dean when he said that, smoothing his shirt down in the front.

"I can't drive those hills and you know it." Larry said, standing in front of the door when Sam moved to exit.

"What, his limo can't take a couple sharp turns?" Sam asked sarcastically, eyebrows raised. "Such a shame."

Dean slammed his fist down on the table, feeling pretty cool when he saw Sam flinch, turning towards him.

"I will not be disrespected because some kid decided he wanted to run off and join the animals." He told both of them. "I have a job to do here, and you're only delaying the inevitable in the most disrespectful way possible." He told the taller man. "Now, I could call my people and have them come down here and start making threats, or you can drive me up and stop acting like a damn little kid."

Sam pressed his lips together until they were white, obviously on a hair-trigger, but he didn't say anything. Larry just looked tired, hand on the table near Sam's, like he was gonna restrain the kid or something.

"Fine." Sam spit out after a second, grabbing a jacket from the chair behind him. He didn't even look back as he strode out to the car, hands clenched around a silver pair of keys.

Yep, this was gonna be fun.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N So, once again, I should probably be thinking about JNSQ, but this called to me again, and it's so less complicated...

Should it be longer? I guess we'll see.

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Dean found the taller man inside of one of the park's black trucks, stony faced and stiff in the driver's seat. Raising an eyebrow at the already crazy amount of mud outside. He had been smart and had worn tougher shoes than his flimsy leather dress shoes, but they were pretty weak compared to, say, a pair of sneakers.

Opening the door of the truck, he hopped in, throwing his clipboard on the dashboard as he buckled. The guide didn't touch his belt, turning the key in the ignition without a glance.

"You're not going to buckle?" Dean asked in surprise, feeling a small burst of anxiety as the other man's face didn't change.

"We're going to get you where you need to go." The guide said robotically. "It doesn't matter."

Dean raised both eyebrows at that. "Yeah, it does!" He said, concerned that the kid was probably really pissed off.

He grabbed Sam's arm, trying to get the man's attention. The other man threw him off whim my, eyes still on the road.

"Look," Sam said coldly, fiercely avoiding eye contact. "Let me get your job done so you can get yours wrapped up. That's what you wanted, right?" He asked crudely at the end, but Dean didn't give him the satisfaction of a reaction.

"Fine." He said to the suicidal kid. Jesus, the roads looked bad, but if the kid wanted to be all rebellious he could go right ahead.

The ride passed in silence for awhile, the wiping of the windshield blades and their breaths the only noise. Dean gazed out of the window in boredom, intent on quickly surveying the land and getting out. The news had reported large rain systems coming their way soon, and Dean wanted to be back at the office by then.

"So, what are you even going to be building out there?" Sam asked, surprising Dean. He would've bet money the ride would've continued in silence.

"I'm overseeing the whole mall project." Dean stated professionally. "We needed a loading and distributing area for the freight helicopters, so they sent me out here to survey the land."

Sam's brow wrinkled, and he took a hand off the wheel to brush the hair out of his eyes. The really nervous driver part of Dean wanted to grab the hand and shove it back on the wheel, but Sam handled the curves deftly one-handed.

"Since when do architects survey land alone?" He asked, glancing briefly at Dean's clipboard.

"That's just how I work." He told the other man, and the guide fell silent again.

Dean felt awkward, having never been in a situation like this before. Usually, he was welcomed with open arms and compliments. He was good at his job, he knew that, but it didn't seem to matter one inch to the man next to him.

"It's not all bad," He said. "It'll help a lot of people, not just-"  
He was cut off. "Save it." The other man growled.

Dean widened his eyes at the order, opening his mouth furiously to respond, but the road suddenly shuddered against his feet and he grabbed the handle above his seat to steady himself

"What the hell?" He shouted at the strange, almost rocking sensation. Dean closed his eyes, afraid that when he opened them, he'd see the mudslide or earthquake of whatever it was.

A strange gushing noise echoed through the car, joined by Sam's chuckles, surprisingly.

"River!" The guide shouted over the noise. "That's the bridge you just felt!"

Dean had no doubt the kid was enjoying himself immensely, seeing Dean crouched in his seat like he was five.

He didn't like heights, obviously.

Opening his eyes slowly, he found the other man glancing at him with bitter amusement, navigating the bridge calmly. Dean risked a glance over the side and nearly threw up. The drop wasn't too far, but the water was swirling quickly, churning dark mud up from the riverbed and rushing it downriver quickly.

"Damn." Dean breathed, transfixed. Sam laughed again, but the chuckles weren't really as light-hearted as Dean imagined they could be.

"I guess this is why they wanted a helipad instead of trucks." Dean said more to himself than Sam. He noticed the other man's fist clench a little around the wheel at the comment, and remembered that the guide was probably still pissed.

They hit he other side of the river quickly, and made their way up through the real beginning of the forest. Tall, dark trees shielded them from the rain, so Sam turned the wipers off.

After about another half an hour of silence, Sam turned off-road and climbed up the side of a hill so quickly Dean barely saw the turn before the other man took it.

Shaking as they bounced on the grass, they thankfully came to a stop on the opening of a small clearing, barely visible with all the trees surrounding it.

Dean knew from the land's biography that it had used to be a logging center hundreds of years ago, but the clearing was nearly overrun with all the wild trees that had sprouted after the company had replanted.

Well, clearing it would be a bitch, but it was better than clearing a whole patch of trees. Unclicking, he grabbed his clipboard and got out, not noticing Sam still sat motionless.

After jumping out as gracefully as possible, he met Sam's eyes through the windshield, one hand over his face to shield from the rain and wind.

"You coming or what?" He yelled, and Sam rolled down the window to answer.

"Get what you need done." He said dully. "I'll drive you back when you're done."

"C'mon man!" Dean yelled, three parts uncertainty and one inexperience. "I'll get lost."

He felt like a wimp for begging, but he could barely tell where his apartment was sometimes. Terrible sense of direction to to along with that fear of heights.

Sam just shrugged, rolling the window up with a quick (and slightly pouty) "Whatever".

Fine then. He'd do it himself.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N I'm beginning to feel very bad about neglecting JNSQ, but...but...

A little sad after getting a terrible flame last night. It's called AU for a reason, Ladygoddess27: It's not REAL. Thanks for creating a dummy account to flame me. Much appreciated.

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He didn't even know why the stupid kid was being so pouty about driving him up there. Feeling slightly stung, he walked away from the truck into the rain, keeping himself from running back and rationalizing the project to the kid. In all honesty, it would help a lot of people who were living up here, people worth more than a couple trees. Gazing around him, he took his tape measure out of his jacket pocket, trying to estimate the logging amount of the square he wanted to clear.

The wind blew water into his face, making him close his eyes and hiss a little. The rain was already soaking the ground, making his heels sink into the dirt softly. Cursing, he looked up to meet Sam's eyes through the windshield of the truck.

The other man blinked, then looked away put of the other window. Dean grabbed his tape measure a little tighter, counting to himself as he paced the square.

It looked like about three dozen trees would need to be cleared, ranging in size from small saplings to the giant maples that blocked the majority of the rain from falling.

Dean tallied that down, winding up the measure and looking to see how far he'd paced. The truck was about a hundred yards away, gleaming with rain. He saw Sam still sitting inside of the cabin, watching him sharply.

Dean started walking back, eager to get home and into dry clothes. The rain had completely soaked him in the last thirty minutes, and he felt a teeth chattering cold settle into his bones.

He was about halfway there when he saw Sam's eyes widen suddenly, the man starting forward as if something was behind Dean.

Turning around, he didn't see anything but the line of the trees. Sam looked stricken, though, and he ripped open the car door.

"Get in the car goddamnit!" He screamed at Dean, waving. Dean ran quickly, opening his mouth to argue as soon as he got into the car when a sound silenced him.

A long, baleful scream shattered the air, ear and painful as it reverberated. Sam's face grew more worried, gunning the car and twisting it through the complicated turn down the side of the hill. The wheels slid a little bit, but he maneuvered them into the road quickly, accelerator going high. Dean's heart sped along with it as the scream induced primal urges in him. Run, hide, protect.

Run.

Dean clung into the sissy bar, trying to click himself as the guide drove like a madman. The scream was still echoing in him, around the car and more. He couldn't describe it, but if someone had asked him right then, he would've told them it was the scariest moment of his life.

Sam looked even more tense as they drove, face pale as he glanced quickly between the road and Dean.

"You okay?" He asked Dean tersely, eyes fixed on the road.

"Okay?" Dean asked when he could speak. "What the hell is that?" He shouted, looking back out the window like it was something he could see.

"Something very dangerous." Sam replied, glancing at him quickly. "Get your head down."

"Why?" Dean asked in panic.

"It won't be able to see you."

He could only stare confusedly at the guide for a second, placing his head down a second later. The road began to change, and he knew they were close to the bridge.

Sam slammed on the brakes suddenly, slamming them to a stop as the guide let out a curse.

"Fucking hell!" He shouted, slamming a hand on the wheel. Looking up, Dean saw the edge of the bridge disappearing down into the river. Torn structures peeked out of the rock, like something had just barreled through it.

Dean shuddered at the thought that whatever had done this might be the same thing chasing them.

"Ssgghthrr!" Something buzzed above their heads.

"This is Sam!" The man said, reaching up to talk into a small black box that Dean recognized as a walkie talkie.

"It took out the bridge!" Sam shouted into the walkie talkie above him, but got nothing but static back. "Do you read? I repeat, it took out the bridge!"

No reply, and Sam let out another curse, twisting in his seat to look at Dean, who stared back dumbly.

"Hold on." He said, holding the seat back as he put them in reverse, quickly putting them into reverse. Sam quickly got them onto the road running along the side of the river, running them up the side of the hill.

The road turned into a trail quickly, and Dean held on tighter as the car bounced again. His heart was still pumping fast, and he found himself glancing in the mirror worriedly. Whatever this thing was, it was dangerous, and Dean had enough sense to know that something that could do that kind of damage to a bridge could squash him in an instant.

Dean was almost surprised when the car slammed to a stop again, and suddenly there were arms around his shoulders.

"C'mon!" A voice yelled near his ear. "You are going to die if you pass out on me now, you hear?" Someone shouted.

A quick slap across his face drew him back from that edge of panic, and he focused on Sam's face in front of him.

Worried hazel eyes stared at him out of a flushed face, and Dean shook his head sharply, clearing the cobwebs.

"We need to go." Sam said, already dragging him out of the seat. They dashed across the road, Dean following Sam into a small ravine, stumbling quickly over branches. Sam was practically dragging him, strong arms moving hem both through the forest.

Dean had no clue where they were going, but followed as best as he could. Sam looked spooked, but Dean knew scared animals ran to safety when they could, and that was probably what they were doing.

Sam let out a breath, pulling them behind a tree. Leaning against it, he closed his eyes and breathed in again, like he was concentrating. He flinched, whole body shaking.

"Shit." He said, opening his eyes to glare at the tree next to Dean's head. "It's close."

"Close? We gotta run again?" Dean asked, losing his manicured accent.

"Yeah." Sam said, pushing Dean into a sprint, arm around his shoulder again. They cleared a small hill quickly, but Dean groaned at the sight of another kettle in front of him.

The second they were at the bottom, the scream rang out again, and the ground shook under their feet. Sam stayed rock steady while Dean stumbled, urging him on.

"Run!" He hissed, pushing again. The scream let out again, and he turned his head into Sam's shoulder as it pierced his ears painfully.

His senses were almost obsolescent when he felt Sam being lifted away from him, suddenly gone. He couldn't muster the energy to overcome the pain and lift his head, crumpling to the ground when Sam's support disappeared.

His terror increased as the ground stopped shaking, leaving him on the wet forest floor. Hot, rotting breath reeked above him, making his eyes water under the lids. It leaned forward, breath getting hotter and closer until Dean knew it was too close, could almost see the long teeth ready to tear into him.

He screamed in pain as something dug into his shoulder, digging deep into the muscle and pinning him to the ground. He screamed again, eyes watering as the thing kept its teeth in him. The wound flashed hot with pain and blood, quickly turning ice cold as something released into his body.

His shoulder turned numb, not stopping the pain but increasing it. If Dean hadn't been in shock before, he was now. Ice ran through his body, mixing with the fire of the pain, and Dean didn't know how much he could take before he passed out.

The thing let go of him then, teeth slipping out of the holes it'd made. He felt the terrible breath disappear, breathing a little better as the fresh, rain scented air rushed over him.

Something roared a few feet away, but Dean couldn't force his eyelids open. He didn't know where Sam was, couldn't move. He could only wait until the thing came back and decided to finish him off.

Another roar above him, and Dean was half convinced it was all just a dream. The pain was leeching into the rest of his body, numbing him with it. He barely noticed as something thudded by him, running back into the forest.

Wet, dirty hands cupped his face, and Dean saw the shadow of something before he passed out in someone's arms.

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A/N Review?


	4. Chapter 4

A/N So, chapter four. Gonna try to get a chap out for JNSQ so I don't feel like a total loser. Thanks to AshleyMarie84 and LeeMarieJack for being awesome.

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Dean's forehead was damp, like someone had drawn a washcloth over his face. He came back to consciousness slowly, unsuccessfully trying to stifle a gasp as he noticed the cold pain still lancing through his body.

"Gngh." He groaned, gritting his teeth against the pain. Dean opened his eyes to see dark treetops above him, lit by dull light. He guessed the storm must still have been overhead because the occasional drop splashed down, thudding against him sharply. He tried to sit up, gasping as the pain and a pair of hands held him down.

"Shhh." Someone said. "Stay still. Don't try to move."

Something cool touched his forehead again, and he blinked as Sam's face came into focus, blocking whatever was lighting the area.

"Lean against me." The guide ordered, putting his arm under Dean's uninjured shoulder and lifting him up gently. Dean had to choke back another shout as the small movement made pain explode in his body. He managed to get up into a sitting position, propped up against a tree trunk with Sam's help.

"What.." Dean croaked out when he could speak, breathing heavily from the small movement. "What was that?"

Sam's face darkened, and he moved away without answering, revealing the small source of light behind him. A low campfire glowed brightly, painting shadows along the inside of the tree trunks. Rain drops hissed and turned to steam when they hit, popping softly in the silence.

Sam returned with another cloth, laying it on Dean's forehead gently as he reached into his pocket for something. Dean gasped as he saw a small switchblade, flinching away from the other man.

"It's for your shoulder." Sam said in apology, looking a little sheepish. He gestured towards the ruined shirt. "I haven't been able to dress it yet. You didn't lose a lot of blood, though, which worries me."

Dean looked at him in disbelief. "That worries you?" He asked shrilly. Wasn't blood loss bad?

Sam looked mysterious for a second, bringing the knife towards his shoulder slowly. "It means it's going to come back."

"That…thing….is gonna come back?" Dean asked, focusing on the droplets of water in Sam's hair as the numbing wave of pain peaked momentarily before dying again. "What the hell is it?"

"That thing doesn't have a name." Sam said quietly, eyes intent as he cut away Dean's coat. "It's every nightmare you can think of and more."  
Dean let his head fall back, hitting the trunk softly. "I guess there's no chance it was a bear or something?"

Sam just shook his head.

The guide peeled away Dean's Armani shirt, revealing the large puncture wounds in his shoulder. "Damn." Sam hissed.

"What? What!?" Dean exclaimed, trying to maneuver his head as the guide held him back.

"Don't look." Sam said, but Dean caught a glimpse of something dark stretching across his shoulder before Sam's hand twisted him away.

"This is why I didn't want anyone up here." Sam said furiously, muttering to himself in a sharp tone. "Damn it!"

Dean stared at him. "Are you hiding that thing?" He asked shakily. "Protecting it?"

Sam's eyes flashed dangerously and he said a strange word quickly, before speaking normally. "No! There's a reason people shouldn't be up here right now. I told you, I told you." He said, returning to Dean's shoulder with another cloth. The wet cloth soothed him, and Dean relaxed a little against the tree trunk.

Sam gently placed the cloth against the worst part of the bites, cleaning out the fluids there. Dean flinched as it pressed painfully, turning his head even farther away.

"Damn, that stings." He stated, blinking furiously. Sam didn't reply, dabbing gently. Barely any blood was on the towel when Sam drew it back, but something dark covered it instead.

"What's that?" Dean asked nervously.

"Congealer." Sam replied, throwing the rag onto the fire unceremoniously. A few sparks flew up around it, and the whole cloth was on fire almost instantly.

"That why I didn't bleed to death?" Dean asked when Sam didn't say anything. "That's good, right?"

Sam looked grim. "I'm not so sure."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dean asked quickly. "You gotta give me a little bit more to go on here!"

Two hazel eyes looked up from the rags Sam was expertly tying around the wound on his shoulder.

"It means it still wants you." Sam said. "I don't want to think about what that means, but you're safe for now."

Dean closed his eyes again. "That's reassuring."

Sam snorted, hands disappearing as he got up to get rid of the last few rags. Dean opened his eyes to see the small campfire blazing a little higher, even though he couldn't see any wood.

"So why are we still in the forest?" He asked the guide, watching as the other man sat down cross legged in front of him. Dean couldn't remember the last time someone his age had sat like that.

"It cut off the bridge, remember?" Sam said. "There is no other way out."

"There's no road or something?"

"No." Sam said, hair tossing as he shook his head.

"Great." Dean muttered, turning away to look at the fire without shifting his body too much. Sam watched him absently, hands twisting around the sleeves of his long shirt.

"How's the pain?" The other man asked him a few seconds later, eyes still a little far-off.

"Shitty." Dean said honestly. "I'm guessing it's a little too late to be hiding a shot of morphine or something in that jacket of yours?"

Sam smiled a little at that, lifting up the jacket briefly. "Nah." He paused. "We need you to be coherent to get out of these woods anyway. I can't drag you out of here by myself."

Dean frowned at that. "When are we leaving?"

"When you say so." Sam replied, hands still twisting around his sleeves. "Otherwise, dawn."

"How are we going to get out?" Dean asked worriedly, looking around them. "It's not like there's any helicopters nearby."

Sam looked thoughtful. "We'll get you out. Don't worry." He said with an odd tone of finality in his voice.

They both stopped talking after that, and the fire started to get to Dean. He placed his head on the uninjured shoulder, leaning back a little as his eyes fell shut.

He was almost in that weird stage of near-sleep when a scream started building in the forest, crescendoing until it reverberated through Dean. He opened his eyes quickly, startled by the familiar scream.

"What was that?" He asked, knowing what it was but hoping there was some way he could pretend he didn't.  
Sam stared at him and shook his head.

"Close your eyes, Dean. We'll move at dawn." He said, sitting watchfully next to the fire as Dean closed his eyes and tried to ignore the screams.

Something told him the thing was getting closer.

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Review?


	5. Chapter 5

A/N So this is where I intended for the story to morph a little. Hopefully you guys will enjoy it, but regardless I enjoyed writing this. I've always had a thing for Powers!Sam. Thanks to the reviewers who make my life shine. This wouldn't have happened without you guys being awesome.

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_A small green light was floating in front of Dean. He couldn't really explain what it was, just knew instinctively that it was telling him something. He watched earnestly as it bobbed in front of him before spiraling out into a long strand of light._

_The forest looked abysmal compared to the streak. Dark shadows whispered around them, but the light didn't waver. Dean watched in amazement as the light expanded even more, encompassing the whole forest in a thin nebula._

_Everything glowed slightly, appearing ethereal. Dean spun in a circle, awe running through him._

_What did it mean?_

_The light shifted again, and parts of the light began to darken, like someone had thrown a curtain over it. The forest seemed torn, glowing on one side but darker than ever on the other. Tendrils of the darkness reached into the glowing light, slowly decaying the beautiful light. Dean felt panic well up in his chest as he felt the darkness twist towards him, weaving forward like a snake with its prey._

_He took a step back, stumbling to the ground. The darkness reached forward, so close to his face he could feel it seeping into him-_

_Suddenly, he was calm. Come to me, it seemed to whisper, curling sweetly around his face. Everything was covered in darkness, like an oil sheen, but Dean didn't care. I touched his shoulder, flaring the connection to life and making him smile darkly into the night._

"Dean! Wake up!"

Startling awake, he met Sam's anxious face, mind too sleep muddled to keep up with what Sam was saying.

He realized with detached curiosity that it had only been a few hours since he'd gone to sleep. Dawn appeared to be a few hours away still. He turned a confused face to Sam, trying to listen.

"-oming now." He was saying quickly. "We need to move again."

"It's back?" Dean got out. "I thought you said it wouldn't attack us here!"

Sam looked frustrated. "I thought it wouldn't. It seemed your dreams were stronger than I thought."

"What kind of cryptic shit is that?" Dean asked nervously. "It's attracted to my dreams?"

Sam nodded, grabbing Dean's shoulder. Dean flinched as he put pressure over the wound, but no pain reached him.

"Shit." Sam muttered, looking Dean in the eyes. "Did that hurt?"

Dean frowned. "No. Why?"

Sam didn't answer, reaching a hand out instead. Dean pulled himself to his feet, alarmed when his arm didn't ache.

Sam grabbed Dean's ruined jacket, throwing it over the dying fire. An echo reached them from across the ravine, low and dangerous.

Sam's face paled, and he grabbed Dean. Wordlessly, they ran down the hills, maneuvering the trees as quickly and as silently as they could. Sam kept looking back, eyes wide as he guided them down the hills.

Same as before, the noise increased, shrill scream echoing so harshly Dean had to bite his lip to keep from making a sound. His shoulder began to burn, that weird rushing sensation in his veins returning. It was almost as if his shoulder was pushing out, trying to reach out to the creature chasing them. He hissed a little as it began to steadily heat up, numbing sensation intertwining until the pain was excruciating.

They stumbled down another kettle, panting as Sam had them run around a sharp curve. Dean nearly lost a shoe in the soft mud, sharp pain running up his ankle to join the pain in his shoulder.

Suddenly, a small spring appeared in front of them. Dean cursed in his head as he realized they'd hit a dead end. He couldn't tell how far away the thing was, but he knew they only had seconds, maybe a minute. His shoulder began to burn sharper signaling it was getting closer.

Strangely, Sam didn't look worried. He rushed forward, kneeling and dipping his hand into the small spring. Dean flinched away as Sam's other hand brushed his shoulder.

"Stay still." Sam said sharply, placing his wet hand over the terrible wound. Dean flinched as the water increased the pain, cool where the pain was hot and numbing. Sam's hand glowed green where it touched the water, fighting against the flaring red pain.

The poison fought back, traveling down Dean's arm. It spasmed, refusing to bow to the other man. Sam hissed, clamping down on his shoulder with his other hand, grip ferociously strong.

"Fight it, Dean." Sam said, gritting his teeth along with Dean as if this were straining him. "Don't let it win. Fight it."

Dean didn't really know what to fight, kneeling in the mud with something calling him nearby, but he focused on Sam's face.

Sam let go of his arm as something crashed into a tree a hundred meters away. Standing up, he stood in front of Dean, looking stoic and far older than the boy he appeared.

Dean felt the pain in his shoulder flare against the water coating it as a shape appeared in the darkness, making his stomach drop.

It was just like his dream, faceless but direct as a nightmare. It blended with the shadows, rippling between the trees, even though Dean knew it was there. Sam stood tall, staring down his opponent as Dean knelt behind him.

Dean gasped as a figure seemed to peel off of the dark shape, striding forward to stand in front of Sam. It mimicked him, contorting until it was the same height and shape as the other man. Sam didn't move, regarding this development with tentative eyes.

Suddenly, it moved, arm flinging out so quickly Dean didn't couldn't even see it, only aware something had occurred when Sam caught the blow with his arm. Dean marveled at the ease Sam held the shadow. He twisted around, using the block to push the shadow away to the forest floor.

Sam stayed on the defensive, catching every hit and throwing back the shadow. It fought weakly at first, barely doing more than simple attacks, but after a few blocks from Sam it changed subtly, becoming more defined.

The next attack was so quick even Sam looked strained. He threw a hand out, ducking and jabbing as the thing's leg curved over his head, deadly and vicious.

Sam went on the offensive then, punches graceful as they seemed to dance around each other. Each other Sam made was fluid, matched perfectly by the shadow creature twisted around him. They looked like the fake martial arts sets you saw on television all the time, where they'd re so quickly it couldn't be natural. Sam seemed to hold back, using less offensive moves than the shadow, and only simple ones when he did.

Dean realized with a jolt that the shadow was learning from Sam. Just that second, the shadow had used a jab kick sequence he'd seen Sam use seconds ago, exacting it skillfully on his partner.

The shadow finally got a hit in, slamming across Sam's jaw hard. Sam stumbled but didn't fall all the way, backing up a few paces so he was directing the shadow's attention away from Dean. He fell to his knees, the prime symbol of deference and submission.

The shadow stood poised, waiting for Sam to move. Sam was still kneeling, head tilted down. Dean saw him place a hand on the ground, glowing slightly, and Dean grinned slightly to himself as he guessed what was going to happen next.

Sam caught his eye from beneath his bangs, determination strong. The shadow walked forward slowly, each move flowing with Sam's stolen grace.

Just as it was about ten feet away, Sam tensed, leaping up from the ground so quickly all Dean could see was a hour as he moved. The shadow barely had time to react, taking a step back as Sam's glowing hand cleaved through it, light splitting the shadow.

It dissolved, wind blowing the pieces away as Sam stood over them. The larger body that had stood docile by the tree line shifted, pieces flowing back into it. Sam stared it down, raising a hand in warning. The other creature turned away after a long silence, disappearing swiftly into the night.

Dean climbed to his feet, noticing the pain in his shoulder disappearing. Sam watched the trees for a second before turning around, facing Dean.

"You good?" Dean asked as Sam walked over, looking drained. Dean peered curiously at the other man's hand, but it wasn't glowing anymore.

Sam took a few more steps. "I'm fine." He said weakly, weaving on his feet. He shook himself, standing up straighter and focusing in on Dean.

"How's the arm?" The taller man asked, blinking a few times like he had a headache. "No..pain?" He asked, putting a hand to his forehead.

"You really don't look okay." Dean said. "Are you sure you're fine?" He asked in concern, watching Sam put his hand down.

"Yeah, I said I was-" Sam said, flinching and grabbing his head. He collapsed, falling to the ground in slow motion. Dean dove forward, catching his head in his hands as the other man let out a low sound of pain.

"Sam?" Dean asked. "Sam!"

The other man gasped, suddenly going still in his arms. Dean patted his face, but Sam didn't wake.

Frantically, he ran his hands over Sam, trying to find a wound or bruise he hadn't seen before. Sam twitched briefly in his arms, eyes moving quickly under closed eyelids. Dean looked at him in a panic, pausing when a figure appeared in front of him.

Cradling Sam's head to his chest, he glared at the new arrival. A woman was standing close, wearing a pale shift. She gazed down at Dean with ageless eyes, young face sweet and deadly under flowing brown hair.

"I told him not to do this." She said, voice melodic as it carried over to Dean. "And look what happened."

"What do you want?" Dean asked protectively, leaning over Sam. She glared at the places his hands rested on Sam, taking a step forward.

She knelt next to Sam, reaching to grab his head from Dean. He held on tightly, intent on keeping Sam away from this stranger when a shock went through him, throwing him back a little.

She cradled his head in her arms, laying him down on her lap slowly. Whispering something, she kissed his forehead and got up. Dean found himself speechless as returned from the side of the creek with water cupped in her hands.

She knelt again, guiding the water to Sam's lips. When he drank, she seemed appeased, turning to Dean.

"You worthless bastard." She growled, spilling animosity. "You should be ashamed of yourself."

Dean raised his eyebrows, standing up in defense. "What the hell are you talking about?" He asked, offended.

"You let him get injured." She spat, pointing a finger at him. "You worthless human!"

"Human? Lady, what the hell are you talking about?" He asked, growing some spine and stalking forward. "I didn't cause ANY of this!" He shouted.

She raised her eyebrows, moving her hand. Sam's shirt unraveled, revealing a muscular chest. Dean almost didn't see it at first, too caught up in confusion.

Dark tendrils ran up Sam's chest, covering patched of the skin like overgrown vines. Just like in his dream, the stalks moved slowly, snaking around the unconscious man's skin painfully. Sam whimpered when the woman brushed a hand over them, obviously in pain.

"I...did this?" Dean asked, horrified. "How could I do this?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Your company started construction a month ago, didn't it?"

Dean nodded, confused. "Yeah, but what does that have to do with this?"

"The forest, you asshole!" She cried, eyes like two swords. "You bastards are tearing it down, and him along with it!"

Dean looked down at Sam's face, guilt settling low in his stomach.

He did this? Dean caused this?

"He's just a man." Dean said. "You're lying." He said, denying it.

"You..." She started, standing up furiously, unable to find the insult. "I should kill you where you stand!" She screamed.

"Stand down." Came a voice from the ground. They looked to see Sam climbing to his feet, face cold.

"Malkeinu!" She said, reaching for him. He swiftly sidestepped, gesture obivous.

"He let you-" She started like a tattling child, cut off when Sam turned to glare at her.

"I said stand _down_." He said, shutting her up efficiently.

She let out a gasp, head tilting down reverently. Sam seemed to notice his half-nudity, running a hand up the split shirt. It flowed together seamlessly, becoming whole in seconds.

Dean's eyes barely widened this time, though he was still impressed.

"You were to protect the home front like I asked you to." Sam said, tone strict. "Why did you disobey?" He questioned.

"I disagreed with your company." The woman gritted out, almost unwillingly. "I felt it was necessary to intervene."

Sam raised a cold eyebrow. "Did you now."

He paced, walking towards the trees, leaving Dean with the woman. Reaching fingertips out, he placed a hand on two trees, causing them to glow slightly. The man looked pained for a second, calling up the magic and forcing it into the trees.

A web appeared between the two of them, rippling slightly before fading. Dean found that it was invisible unless looked at from the side of the eye, knowing it was nearly undetectable if you weren't aware of it.

"He shouldn't be wasting his power on you." The woman spat at him. "Brings new meaning to sleeping with enemy if you ask me."

Dean turned to her, angered. "Would you quit it?" He asked. She glared at him in response.

"What is he doing?" He asked, moving onto a different topic. Sam was too far away to hear them now, placing hands on the trees near the spring. Dean realized he was making a circle around where they were standing.

"Protections." She murmured. "It's getting harder for him." She noted, and Dean saw the flash of pain in Sam's eyes as he powered up the next trees.

"Why is he getting weaker?" Dean questioned, worried as Sam's face grew paler. Still, the man worked along, determined.

"Your construction broke the hold he had on the forest." She said, obviously ready to throw the blame on him. "Parts of it are beginning to fight him."

It slowly came together in Dean's mind. "You mean...it? The thing that bit me?"

She nodded, avoiding eye contact with Dean as she watched Sam (Her superior? Her master?)

"That's the worst of it, yes." She said as they watched Sam. "I don't know how much longer he can fight it. How much longer you can fight either is unknown."

Dean backed up, throwing his hands up. "Whoa, slow down. I'm not going to hurt you."

She turned cold eyes on him, ending the conversation with one sentence.

"I'm not saying you will."

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A/N So, review? *puppy dog eyes*


	6. Chapter 6

A/N For LeeMarieJack. Sorry it's a short chapter-exams are coming up and I don't think I'll be able to post anything for a while. *Cringes and sobs in a corner*

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He had no memory of falling asleep, but the next thing Dean knew was darkness. It wasn't a calm dream-far from it. He felt half-conscious and delirious at the same time, dreams so bright and vivid they seemed to burn into his mind as they changed. No matter how hard he tried, he could not wake, and the darkness was becoming suffocating.

A sharp pain burned in his shoulder, just where his bite was located. It ached deeper than the skin, and Dean knew intrinsically that it had importance-something to do with what the woman had been talking about before. Something-

Something evil.

Pale and shaky, it finally released him what felt like eternities later. He opened his eyes to find a low, dark ceiling above him. Shifting slightly, he felt the warm comfort of a mattress beneath him. Blankets surrounded his body, but he no matter how close he drew them to his chilled body, he could find no warmth.

His whole body ached as he tried to get up, so he stayed lying down. The room he was in was small but pleasantly furnished, all dark greens and browns to match the ceiling. A small table sat next to the bed, but he couldn't turn his head enough to see what was on it.

The door opened quietly just as he had closed his eyes again, startling him. He struggled to leap up, shoulder flaring wildly with pain as a strange adrenaline rushed through him.

The woman from before stood tall and elegant above him, staring at him intently before moving out of his sight. He gasped as a wet rag touched his face, burning and cooling at the same time.

"Wha-" He rasped, trying to speak. "What happened?"

She sighed, placing the rag on his forehead before speaking. "You fainted."

"I can see that."

She shook her head. "It's not that simple. Your wound is still festering, but it's going to get harder to control. I don't know how much time you have left."

Dean struggled to sit up, adrenaline pounding through him continuously. "Okay, wait up a second lady. What the hell do you mean time I have left?" He asked, raising his hands to make quotations around the words. "You're crazy."

She glared at him. "And you're not my problem." She bit back, eyes steely as they glared at each other. "I shouldn't even have to be here."

He shook his head at her, struggling to push himself up. "Then I'm leaving. I'm fine. Now tell me where Sam is."

A slap rocked his world, making his vision go blue-white-green for a second. He pressed his hand to the stinging mark surprised at the woman's vehemence.

"The hell, lady?" He exclaimed, more surprised than hurt. She grabbed his collar, hauling him up with more strength than he would've thought possible.

"You'll address him as King and nothing else. If I had it my way you wouldn't even be here." She spit at him, and seriously, what was it with this lady?

He got up off the bed, confused and so over talking to crazy lady who likes slapping people. Opening the door, he hissed as light shined through the doorway.

Dean flinched as his eyes _shifted, _retinas almost disturbingly vibrating under his eyelids before settling. When he looked again, everything was sharp and normal, almost perfectly toned and colored. He grasped the door with one hand, blinking before starting forwards again.

"Where is he?" He called back, feeling delirious again as he gazed down the long halls. Soft lights lit each junction in the hallways, elegant and small against the dark walls. He felt more than heard the woman behind him, a sharp presence in the back of his senses.

"Down the hallway on your right. First door on the left." She grit out, lips white. Dean raised an eyebrow at the answer.

"A small answer wasn't too hard now, was it?" He asked sarcastically, frowning when she clenched her fists.

"He said if you asked for him I was to direct you." She said before turning away, leaving him alone in the long hallways.

Dean followed her directions and found a large door against one of the dark hallways, the only thing different as far as he could see. No other doors lined the halls, but a twitching sensation told him to stay near to where he was. Grasping the handle slowly, he opened the door.

Sam lay on a large bed, hand above his head. A long, silver shackle was wrapped around his wrist, clamped to the headboard with chains. He was reading, a small book in his other hand as he frowned at the small pages. He wore complete white, so pure Dean could almost make out the shadows of the dark tendrils shifting under the fabric.

He stepped forward, foot creaking on the wood floors. "Sam?" He asked tentatively, worried and nervous and owing him the largest "I told you so" in the world it wasn't even funny.

Sam looked up, startled. His hazel eyes widened for a second before narrowing, face transforming from calm to wary in seconds.

"Hello, Dean."


	7. Chapter 7

A/N For LeeMarieJack, who is awesome and a great listener, and for if-llamas-could-fly, who is amazing in many ways and deserves lots of awards. You guys are great people. Jeez, look at me getting all sentimental? :) Also to my beta, who works hard to keep me sane.

* * *

_Dean followed her directions and found a large door against one of the dark hallways, the only thing different as far as he could see. No other doors lined the halls, but a twitching sensation told him to stay near to where he was. Grasping the handle slowly, he opened the door._

_Sam lay on a large bed, hand above his head. A long, silver shackle was wrapped around his wrist, clamped to the headboard with chains. He was reading, a small book in his other hand as he frowned at the small pages. He wore complete white, so pure Dean could almost make out the shadows of the dark tendrils shifting under the fabric._

_He stepped forward, foot creaking on the wood floors. "Sam?" He asked tentatively, worried and nervous and owing him the largest "I told you so" in the world it wasn't even funny._

_Sam looked up, startled. His hazel eyes widened for a second before narrowing, face transforming from calm to wary in seconds._

_"Hello, Dean."_

* * *

Sam smiles but doesn't move, placing the book face down on the large bed beside him. The silver cuff around his wrist is like a stigma in the dark room, bright and sharp as Dean takes an unbidden step forward. The room feels charged with something primal, and Dean couldn't even start to put a name to it.

"What are you doing in here?" Dean blurts out, eyes still catching on the cuff. "Is someone...?"

He didn't want to say it.

"No, no!" Sam is quick to reassure him. "I'm not being...held...here. I did this."

Dean sputters. "You did this? To yourself?" He shakes his head, backing up. "I'm sorry man, but this acid trip has gotten a little too strange for me."

Sam sits up quickly, free hand out. "No, please stay. I understand how strange this must be for you. But you have to understand, the poison is still in you." He looks strangely earnest, as if Dean wasn't having a hard enough time refusing without those puppy eyes.

Dean's shoulder throbs right on cue, and he winces at the sudden shift of his eyes in the low light. Sam nods from his place on the bed, but gives him a second.

"Come here." He beckons, hand outstretched. It shakes, small tremors visible all along the graceful fingers that look alien in the light. Dean's body instantly shies away from the gesture, as if Sam were something to be feared.

He grits his teeth and fights forward. Sam smiles weakly and lays the hand on his shoulder, unwinding the bandages one-handed. The wound is almost completely healed, puncture marks shiny with new skin and something else Dean doesn't want to think about.

Sam sighs, closing his eyes and pressing down with his fingertips. Dean bites back a scream as something tears through him, sharp and painful where the poison was cool and numbing. He can't move for a few seconds, feeling the pain travel through him and _burn._

Sam's hand is steady as he removes it from Dean's shoulder, and he looks rejuvenated. Dean is drawn once again to the shadows on Sam. This close, they look even darker, somehow more menacing.

"I can take you back." Sam says after a moment, surprising him. The shadows still dance under his shirt, and Dean doesn't know where to look he's so transfixed. If he'd had any self-decency, it was gone now.

"Take me back?" Dean questions, feeling dumb and a few lines behind.

Sam purses his lips but nods. "It'd be like we'd never met. The whole nine yards, Disney crap-tastic wish, but you would have some...limitations."

"Limitations." Dean states in a low voice.

"I would have to clear the poison from your blood once a month, like now."

"How would this work?" Dean asked. "I mean, I hate to be Debbie Downer here, but is this even possible? I  
You look...sick."

Sam laughs at that, head thrown back against the bed. He's still chuckling when he looks back at Dean, but his eyes are sad as they lock glances.

"I'll figure a way." He says, and that's that. No reassurance, no smile. Sam's acting even stranger than he had in the last 24 hours, and that was saying something.

"Do it then."

Dean gasps as his lips move almost out of their own accord. Sam raises an eyebrow at his forward tone but nods approvingly.

"Alright, then. Hand me that." He says, pointing to a small key on the table. Out of his reach, Dean notices.

"Why _did _you lock yourself up?" Dean asks cautiously, not moving.

Sam chuckles again, that same unfamiliar smile gracing his features. "No reason. This is just me being...petulant."

"Petulant?" Dean prods. "It's a little kinky, man."

"Would you unlock me already?" Sam's tone is sharp, losing the joking feeling it had a second ago. Dean frowns, but picks up the small piece of metal.

The key is warm as he hands it to Sam, who fits it into a lock swiftly. A fission of power seems to flood the room for a second, and then he stands. His frame is tall, taller than Dean remembers. Sam's eyes are gold as he glances at him, and Dean sits down on the bed in a moment of dizziness.

"What...what are you doing?" He asks dumbly, hands numb against the bed spread. Sam is laughing above him, low chuckles echoing as he pushes Dean back with a single hand, a hand that burns and freezes him. He tries to scream a second later, but his vocal cords are not his and suddenly he's frozen still.

"Dean!" Someone shouts above him, and Dean forces his gaze up, eyes the only thing he has control over anymore. His breath leaves him in one punch as Sam freezes above him.

Another Sam is standing in the doorway, terrified expression on his face. Blood runs down one side of his face, but a warm sort of power is rolling off of him in a way that Dean can feel even from across the room. He tries to take a step in and curses as the other Sam throws a hand out, holding him back without touching him.

"Dean! Dean!" Sam shouts from the doorway, panicked. "You gotta fight it, man! Stand up! Dean!"

The other Sam chuckles and forces Dean's head down again, using Sam's graceful fingers to pin him to the bed, running hands down his chest, his legs. Sam's anguished cry is even softer a second later, and Dean's vision begins to swim.

Not-Sam's lips cover his in a burning kiss and everything goes dark.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N For LeeMarieJack. I'm sorry this took so long. Also, if you haven't heard, if-llamas-could-fly and I are co-writing a series of Outsider!POVs over on her page for the season 8 finale. If you're into that kinda thing, go check it out. Otherwise, enjoy this update!

* * *

_"Dean!" Someone shouts above him, and Dean forces his gaze up, eyes the only thing he has control over anymore. His breath leaves him in one punch as Sam freezes above him._

_Another Sam is standing in the doorway, terrified expression on his face. Blood runs down one side of his face, but a warm sort of power is rolling off of him in a way that Dean can feel even from across the room. He tries to take a step in and curses as the other Sam throws a hand out, holding him back without touching him._

_"Dean! Dean!" Sam shouts from the doorway, panicked. "You gotta fight it, man! Stand up! Dean!"_

_The other Sam chuckles and forces Dean's head down again, using Sam's graceful fingers to pin him to the bed, running hands down his chest, his legs. Sam's anguished cry is even softer a second later, and Dean's vision begins to swim._

_Not-Sam's lips cover his in a burning kiss and everything goes dark._

* * *

"You know what?" The Other-Sam murmurs as Dean's body fades away from the bed, pacing along the side and running a finger where his body had been.

"What?" Sam grit out venomously from the doorway, eyes dark with rage. The other-Sam still kept his hold on the doorway, locking him of of the room.

"I'm going to do it anyway." The shadow man says lightly. "Give him his whole nine yards. No you, no me. I think I'll keep him there forever. Like a pet." He said with a smirk, turning to Sam as if daring him to do something.

"You bastard." Sam curses, fists clenching. "Give him back."

The other man spins on his heel, smooth features contorting suddenly. "He's _mine, _or didn't you notice? I even went through all the trouble of marking him, too."

"What are you going to do with him?" Sam asks instead of answering, glare tinged with desperation. "Play pretend? That's what blow up dolls are for, asshole. He's not some toy."

"No," Other-Sam murmurs, staring deeply into Sam's eyes. "He's leverage. I'm going to keep him until you give up. Imagine that, some angry little human being your breaking point."

Sam's face darkened as his double laughs, voice taking on a resonant tone.

"I'm far from broken."

The shadow man raises his eyebrows and smirks evilly, twisting a hand in the air and sharply gesturing towards him. A ripple surges through the air and Sam falls to his knees, biting his lip to hold in an agonized scream.

"You're right. But I'm getting closer." Other-Sam hums, sitting on the bed in one smooth movement. His beautiful white clothes look like dry bones rotting in the sun to Sam.

"And you can't stop it, no matter how hard you try."

"Watch me." Sam breathes out, shuddering from the pain still lancing through him. Even kneeling, Sam is sure of himself. "I'll get him back."

Other-Sam purses his lips, dramatically inspecting his immaculate fingernails. "I'd like to see you try, Sammy boy. It's been a while since we had a bet. What's it been, a couple centuries?"

"Four, I think." Sam said sarcastically between clenched teeth. "But who's counting."

Other-Sam stands up fluidly. "Tell you what." He begins, hands out in front of him. "I win, I get to keep Dean forever. You win, and I give you Dean. Whole, undamaged. Human."

"And what's the bet?"

The other Sam walks forward, leaning in and whispering the words tauntingly into Sam's ear. He holds him by the curve of his jaw, dipping his head so he's speaking directly into Sam's ear. Rage appears on his face as the shadow man leans back.

"You can't." Sam jerks away, scrambling to his feet with some effort. His breathing is erratic all of a sudden. "This is still under my control. You can't do that to him-"

"Sorry, Sammy boy." The other man cuts him off with a sneer. "Only way to save Dean. And yeah, you're stronger for now." He pouts mockingly, flashing Sam his own puppy-dog eyes. "Key words there being _for now_. What happens if you refuse and I just use Dean up anyway? You'd like that, some little personal battery. I know you would."

"Go to hell, you bastard." Sam responds. The shadow man tutts disapprovingly.

"I wouldn't say that to yourself, hon. I am you, and you are me, and all that bullshit. Point is, wherever I go, you go." He wrenches his hand in the air again.

Sam gasps as another bolt of pain bursts through him, but valiantly stays on his feet. The other man glanced at his watch blatantly before looking at Sam again, smirk twisting his features.

"We got ourselves a deal, sugar?"

Sam glares at him, viciously grabbing his neck and drawing the doppelgänger in for the most foul kiss of his life. He stumbled back, vision fading slowly to black, accompanied by the sound of his own voice laughing as he falls through the bed below him.

* * *

Dean wakes up screaming, sweat dripping down his face.

"SAM!" He shouts hoarsely, feeling his chest heave as tears threaten to escape his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he gets out of bed and stumbles to the bathroom, heart still pumping wildly.

The nightmare was still streaming through him, little bits of fear making his heart beat erratically. In all honestly it's just a blur now, but the fear was real. At least, Dean thought it was. He splashes water on his face a good five times, washing away his fear and along with it his fatigue. By the time he stumbled back to his room, the clock read three in the morning and he was far from tired.

It would give him more time to look over the new project's notes, at least. He sighed and put some clothes on, walking barefoot to the kitchen to start the coffee machine. It buzzed happily as he gazed disinterestedly out the window at the still-dark sky.

Who was Sam?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Four hours later and he was balancing a cup of coffee in one hand and his briefcase in another, pushing the door to his office with the back of his shoe. With a sigh, he sat back in his chair and clicked on the intercom.

"Sheryl, I'm going to need the blueprints Mr. Gruber sent over." A second later, he rubbed his eyes and pressed the button on the phone again. "Please."

"Sure thing." Sheryl said lightly, voice pleasant but professional. "Do you need me to have Ron go for another coffee run?"

Dean let out a sharp, slightly frantic burst of laughter. "No, I've got mine. Might want some later, but all I need are those blueprints."

"Alright. I'll have those one your desk in twenty." Sheryl said, clicking off. Dean sighed and sat back in his leather chair, ever-present headache making its presence known even sooner than usual. He reached into his desk drawer and popped three advil, dry swallowing and sighing yet again.

He was supposed to go visit the forest helicopter site today, which really sucked because it looked like it was starting to rain. The last place he wanted to be while wearing Armani was in the woods, but the job was huge and Dean, while he wouldn't always admit it, was the tiniest bit greedy. It was a simple survey today, though, so nothing big. A little walking around, some notes and maybe more coffee.

Perfect.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The little office at the base of the mountain was divided into two rooms, an office and a main sitting area. One wall held a whole bookshelf of safety pamphlets, opposite of the one with all of the stuffed dead animals. Dean could appreciate the irony only a little bit around his headache, and therefore avoided making eye contact with the dead whatever-it-was that was perched three feet from his head. He felt like the most out-of-place businessman in the world based on threadcount alone, but he didn't let it get to him. Soft voice reached him a second later, and he stood up.

A small redhead walked in from the office next to Larry, the director of the small office. She gave Dean a cute smile a reached a hand forward.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Winchester." She said, shaking his hand surprisingly firmly. He could feel her calluses as he gripped her hand, giving her a smile in return. "My name's Susan."

"She's also the one who's gonna be driving you up today." Larry chimed in from next to her, pushing grey hair back out of his face. "I presume you have everything you need?"

Dean nodded. "Yes. And I hope this isn't too much trouble, Sir. It's just a routine-"

Larry waved him off. "It's no trouble at all, Mr. Winchester. Susan will be happy to drive you up. I'd suggest you get going before the real storms roll in, though."

Dean frowned. "We've got severe weather coming our way?"

"Two hours, give or take." Larry responded offhandedly. "Perfect amount of time for you to get up and down safely. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some reports to file. Pleasure seeing you, Mr. Winchester." With that he was moving back to the office, closing the door behind him.

"Off we go, then?" Susan asked politely, small smile curving her lips. "We've got a lot of distance to cover."

Dean took one last look around the office before putting a hand forward. "Ladies first." He said, raising an eyebrow. She gave a small laugh and pushed open the door, jogging to the nearest truck. Dean gave the rain an annoyed look and followed, hands high over his head. They were both soaked when they reached the truck, but even Dean was smiling.

"Is it usually this empty in the park?" He asked as she started the truck, brushing water out of his hair.

"Usually." Susan said softly. "We have some other guides on duty, but one of them called in sick. The other one you'll meet soon."

"He's already up on the mountain?" Dean asked, curious.

She nodded. "He'd be driving you today if it weren't for the schedule change. Lord knows he's better at these hills than me."

"That's reassuring." Dean said, only half sarcastic as he made sure his seatbelt was clicked.

She revved the engine then pulled out of the gravel parking lot, edging towards the road on their left. "And off we go. On your left, you'll see some rain. Very special. And on your upcoming right, you'll have the rare sighting of _more rain._"

Dean let out a burst of laughter. "Okay, I get it. I'm not scared anymore, promise."

A lie, but hey. She was funny.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Throughout the ride, eventually they stopped talking as Susan focused on the roads. Dean began to get a strange feeling about their trip akin to deja vu. He found himself frowning against the reappearance of his headache, staring out the passenger window in confusion. The second before they hit the bridge, he already knew it was there.

_"What the hell?" He shouted at the strange, almost rocking sensation. Dean closed his eyes, afraid that when he opened them, he'd see the mudslide or earthquake of whatever it was._

_A strange gushing noise echoed through the car, joined by Sam's chuckles, surprisingly._

_"River!" The guide shouted over the noise. "That's the bridge you just felt!"_

He closed his eyes against the familiar sensation, gritting his teeth as the memory faded, leaving only his headache behind.

"Yeah, the bridge is a little scary the first time." Susan said next to him, flashing him a small smile as they continued across the swelling river. "Nothing to worry about."

"What river is this?" He asked curiously, staring down at the fast-moving waters. They looked familiar in a way they really shouldn't. He hated rivers, never would've spent time staring at them.

"Gramm River." Susan murmured as they crossed back onto the other side. "It almost always swells when it gets rainy like this. No flooding though, which is good."

Dean nodded along with that, rubbing his temples slightly as they continued up the mountain. "So, where are we meeting this guide?"

"Your site." Susan said, turning the wheel firmly as they took a curve a little too close to the edge for Dean's liking. "He was up here doing repairs on the campsites a couple miles over and offered to help with whatever you needed. And to drive us back, of course."

Dean scoffed. "I don't need a lot of help, really. I just need to pace around, look at some stuff. Nothing big."

Susan nodded. "I know, but Larry just wants to be careful. And, in all honesty, he is a far better driver than me."

Silence, and the drive continued. Eventually, they pulled off the normal road onto a small dirt one, maneuvering up a hill until they were at the edge of a grassy field. A small tent was set up not two dozen feet away, tall figure standing underneath it. They both unbuckled, getting out of the truck to the tent in record time.

Dean was just wiping the water off of his clipboard when Susan smiled and gave the tall man standing a few feet back a hug. Dean felt a small spark of amusement as he realized Susan was younger than she looked.

"Dude!" She cried, leaping into his arms excitedly. He chuckled, grabbing her in a small hug and releasing her a second later. "I haven't seen you in a week!"

The tall man smiled, multi-color eyes sparkling. "It's been two days, Susan. But it's nice to see you too." He looked at Dean, gaze filled with curiosity and something else Dean couldn't name. "Who's this?"

"Dean Winchester." Dean said formally, throwing a hand forward. His headache sharpened as the other man smiled at him beneath shaggy hair. He gripped his hand tightly, sending shockwaves up Dean's arm.

"Sam."

A rushing cold filled his whole body from where their hands met, and Dean's knees gave out to the forest floor. Sam's concerned face flashed above him, lips shaping silent words as a burning pain ripped through him.

Vision blacking out, as he knew no more.

* * *

A/N Review?


	9. Chapter 9

A/N This chapter sort of got away from me, and I understand it may appear a little vague. Please PM me if you have any question, or better yet, leave a wonderful review! Thanks so much to everyone who has left a comment and to LeeMarieJack for her amazing support in continuing this story. I hope you enjoy.

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_The tall man smiled, multi-color eyes sparkling. "It's been two days, Susan. But it's nice to see you too." He looked at Dean, gaze filled with curiosity and something else Dean couldn't name. "Who's this?"_

_"Dean Winchester." Dean said formally, throwing a hand forward. His headache sharpened as the other man smiled at him beneath shaggy hair. He gripped his hand tightly, sending shockwaves up Dean's arm._

_"Sam."_

_A rushing cold filled his whole body from where their hands met, and Dean's knees gave out to the forest floor. Sam's concerned face flashed above him, lips shaping silent words as a burning pain ripped through him._

_Vision blacking out, as he knew no more._

* * *

When Dean opens his eyes, it's to the sound of someone humming Led Zeppelin softly, which, while being a great band and all confused the hell out of him. Bright white light flooded his vision and he flinched back, instinctually covering his eyes with a raised hand a second later.

The humming cut off with a small reconciliation to the minor chord, voice quieting. Dean cracked open his eyes just in time to smack his head on something hard behind his head as a face appeared directly in front of him.

"Hello, Dean." Sam said wryly above him, eyes twinkling. "You keep getting knocked out a lot, huh?"

Dean could only stare dumbly at the smiling man in front of him, mouth opening a little. "Sam?"

"That's my name, don't wear it out." The other man said a second later, moving back a little to grab something Dean couldn't see. The surface he was laying on rippled, and he realized he was on a bed.

"What am I doing here?" He asked when he regained his ability to speak. "More importantly, what are YOU doing here?"

"Breaking the rules." Sam said, laughing like it was some private joke. "I only get a few minutes, though."

"For what?"

Sam sighed. "A message."

Something dark shifted behind Sam's eyes and the whole room seemed to darken, white light fading slightly as the room grayed. Dean frowned in confusion, sitting up and taking account of his surroundings.

His breath caught as he saw the furniture lining the space. Trophies from middle school baseball tournaments lined shelves while his graduation picture was tacked to the wall across from him. The bed beneath him felt suspiciously like his first box spring he'd had at college, surprisingly comfortable. Small bits of his whole life were scattered around this strange, blank room.

"What the hell is this?" He asked, agitated. Sam shook his head, a small smile crossing his face.

"I'm sorry, I can't tell you." He said oh-so-helpfully, brushing a hand across Dean's forehead gently. He resisted the urge to flinch again, oddly comforted by the gesture. Old eyes looked out at him as Sam spoke. "I'm already cheating by bringing myself here."

"What do you mean you can't tell me?" Dean asked, exasperated. "Is this some weird lab thing? Kidnap a guy and throw all of his old stuff in a room, see how he reacts?"

Sam chuckled a little at that, but his smiled darkened as the room shifted around them. He looked at Dean intently, for all purposes equally unhelpful and confusing.

"You'll need to wake up soon, so I'll make this quick." He said with a sad smile, hazel eyes filled with something he couldn't identify. "I'm sorry I couldn't help more. At least, this version of me."

"Uh huh." Dean said with only a little sarcasm as the cute crazy guy smiled at him."Pretty sure I'm awake, man."

Sam shook his head, wavy hair flopping around his face in a vaguely puppy dog like manner. He leaned forward, placing slender hands around Dean's face, cupping it and drawing him forward. Warmth spread from where his palms touched Dean's skin.

"Give Sam my message, alright?" The taller man pleaded, eyes deep and pained. Even his smile seemed strained. "Tell him to look for the blade where the river starts. It's all I can give you."

"Like that made any sense!" Dean protested, but the pained look in Sam's eyes cut him off.

"Time to wake up."

Dean snarled. "I'm fucking awake! Quit it with that!"

A sad pair of eyes met his, and Sam sighed again. "You don't understand, Dean. " He gasped as slender fingers found their way to his temples, resting lightly over the delicate skin. Sam's voice seemed to echo as another voice overlaid his perfectly, words spoken in unison.

**"_Wake UP_."**

Dean sputtered a little as his eyes flew open, gasping and clawing at his head frantically. A huge pressure was only just beginning to lessen inside his skull, pounding fiercely against his temples. He clenched his eyes in pain, opening them a second later to the sensation of someone pounding on his chest.

"Mr. Winchester?" Susan said anxiously above him, red hair flying as she pressed on his chest. "Dean? Are you all right? Dean!"

He winced at the noise and sat up, keeping a hand on his temple. Susan sat back on her heels as a strong hand helped him, pushing him forward when the pain became too much.

Susan was staring at him worriedly when he looked at her again, frown creasing her young face. She glanced over his head at someone above him and Dean realized just who was behind him.

Worried hazel eyes met his as he craned his neck around, but Sam said nothing as he helped Dean up. His eyes were just as sad as the other Sam's, mournful even when he gave Dean a reassuring smile. A second later a water bottle was pressed into his hand gently. He nodded his thanks towards the man, who smiled again as Susan commenced with the panic attack she had apparently been holding back, quick stream of questions near unintelligible.

"You fainted and then oh my god what happened are you on drugs or something or do you have epilepsy I've never had someone faint before oh my god you weren't breathing for a second…"

"What happened?" Dean asked as she took a breath, face flushed as she stared up at him. She had an impressive set of lungs, he'd give her that.

"You fainted." Susan said breathlessly, gesturing at the ground. "Out of nowhere and suddenly you're horizontal. Scared the living crap outta us."

Dean rubbed his head, feeling like he was almost being scolded. "How long was I out?"

"About five minutes." Sam said, eyes carefully sweeping over Dean's body. "You stopped breathing for about thirty seconds at the end, and then you woke up."

Dean felt a small wave of dizziness pass through him, but he kept standing. "That's never happened to me before. I'm truly sorry, guys. I know this was a big scare."

Susan nodded emotionally, eyes glittering in the low light. "Are you ready for us to take you back down now?"

Dean frowned. "I still have to complete my survey, sadly." He shrugged. There was no reason not to, except maybe the humongous headache he could still feel buzzing under his skull.

"Like hell." Susan muttered viciously. "You're going back down to the first aid building and getting checked out. I don't want you falling over again on my watch."

"I really need to complete the paperwork by tomorrow." Dean pleaded, hands in front of him. "My clients'll have my ass if I don't."

"You just stopped breathing for thirty seconds!" Susan said, waving her hands. "I think that excuses a little late paperwork!"

Sam kept oddly quiet, gazing at Dean strangely.

"And I'm fine." Dean continued, feeling a little like an ass for being petulant. He would've felt guiltier about it if it weren't for the large deal his company was currently settling with his clients. It was enough money to be stubborn about, that was for sure.

Susan gave him a disbelieving look. "You just _fainted_ and you're gonna go walking out in the rain?"

"He's got time." Sam said next to her, giving Dean a small smile before facing Susan with a placating look. "It'll be about an hour until the real rain starts rolling through, anyways." He turned to Dean, raising an eyebrow.

"I'd suggest you get moving, architect boy."

Dean returned his smirk, grabbing his fallen clipboard and pencil as he strode out of the tent. The sky was swollen and dark, but the rain seemed to have tapered off mostly. A small bit of fear curled low in his belly at the sight. It seemed almost foreboding, threatening in a primal way.

Shaking his head, Dean kept pacing up and down the field. This was why he didn't take a lot of jobs out in the middle of nowhere—it made you feel small and animalistic, ruled by your instincts to run and hide. Basically, it was too far away from a climate-controlled house where everything was easy to get, and he knew that was why a lot of people hated the outdoors. There was no denying-the outdoors were scary.

* * *

Aside from his momentary dizziness, he managed to get the notes he needed down in little time. The field had a pleasant earthy smell from the fresh rain and it cleared his head quickly. By the third time he circled the field, his headache had disappeared.

Quickly measuring a small spot he was unsure about, he took a few more notes and then headed back to the tent. Sam and Susan were watching him silently, Sam at ease and Susan tense. He waved slightly as he walked up, knowing he looked far from appealing after being soaked.

"Storms are getting closer." Susan said as he approached, arms crossed. "We'd better get moving soon, if you get my drift."

Dean nodded, glancing swiftly at Sam before looking down at his clipboard. The other man nodded at Susan and walked out of the tent towards the car.

"I'll get us started up. Hop in when you're ready."

Susan gave him a thumbs up, standing closer to Dean than strictly necessary. However, he was amused to find the look in her eyes purely maternal.

"You gotta be freezing."

Dean chuckled. "Believe it or not, I'm used to rain." He said nonchalantly, brushing water from his hair.

"Uh huh?" Susan asked, nonplussed. "I'm sure that's what you tell the doctors when they diagnose you with hypothermia, too."

"I swear, doctor, It's not poor blood circulation! Just blue paint!" Dean joked, raising his hands in defense. It got a laugh out of Susan, who seemed to calm down a little.

"You're all right, Winchester." She said a second later, laughter still in her eyes. "Now, why don't we go get in the car with Sam, huh?"

They walked off side-by-side, wind just beginning to pick up as they neared the car. Just as they were about halfway there, Susan gasped, coming to a stop.

"Susan?" Sam asked from the side of the car, frowning. Dean turned to her just in time to see the girl clutch her throat wildly, going down to her knees in the wet earth.

"Susan!" Sam yelled, running from the car to where she'd fallen. Dean dropped to his knees next to her, fumbling and trying to find the problem.

Sam reached them in three seconds flat, kneeling swiftly. He put a hand on her back, drawing her upright even further. "Keep your hand here, try to keep her airways open." He said quickly, grabbing Dean's hand and placing it on her back where his had been. He grabbed her face in his hands, speaking firmly.

"Susan, can you hear me?" He asked the choking woman, but her eyes rolled back into her head a second later. Dean heard a low curse and then Sam was swearing even more.

"What the hell is it?" He asked worriedly, still holding her upright.

Sam drew a hand away from her face, showing it to Dean. It was covered in blood, and when he turned to face Susan, the red was still visible as she kept coughing.

"Keep her straight." Sam said as he ran a hand up and down her body. "Did she hit something, anything you saw?"

"No! No, she didn't, not that I could see." Dean said frantically, feeling Susan's coughs become weaker. "How is she choking then?"

"I don't know!" Sam said furiously, hands returning to the girl's face. "Susan. Susan!"

She gave one more cough and then her head slipped, rolling limply as her whole body went slack. Sam cursed one more time, low and quiet.

"God damn it." Dean said desperately, running a hand through his hair. He stood, feeling sick as he watched Sam hold her body firmly, eyes filled with horror. "God fucking damn it!"

Sam shook his head silently; damp hair curling around his face. He stood a second later, laying the body down gently on the earth.

"What do we do?" Sam asked brokenly, face crumpling. "Radio it in?"

Dean clenched his fists. "I guess we…we take her down. To the main building." He stumbled, feeling loose in all the wrong ways. "Sam?"

The other man was staring off into the forest, frowning. Suddenly, the wind picked up even further, whipping Sam's hair and Dean's jacket viciously. He followed the taller man's gaze and froze as a figure appeared on the forest line.

_What the hell?_

A man stepped out of the forest wearing pure white, dark hair obscuring his face as he made his way towards the two of them. He kept his eyes pointed down, but he seemed anything but submissive. His footsteps were measured and firm, mocking almost in the way he took his time to cover the distance between them. He raised his head ten feet away, eyes glinting as they caught their first glance.

Dean heard Sam's breath leave him as his doppelgänger smiled viciously at them, twisting Sam's features into an arrogant expression. Teeth glinted as the smile widened.

"Sam and Dean. Nice to see you again." The Not-Sam said pleasantly, coming to a stop a few feet away. He glanced down at Susan's corpse uninterestedly, raising an eyebrow and saying nothing.

"Who the hell are you?" Sam asked shakily, taking a step forward. Dean pretended to ignore the way he stepped in front of his own body protectively.

Not-Sam raised his eyebrows sarcastically, pointing a finger at himself. "Who, me? Let's just say I'm a friend for now, 'kay?"

"Oh yeah, and friends kill innocent people now? Who knew?" Dean shot back, anger surging through him. "She was innocent, you bastard."

"How do you know I did it?" Not-Sam asked defensively, small whine in his voice. "It could have been perfectly natural, trust me."

Dean nodded dubiously. "Uh huh. Sure. Now tell us what the hell you're doing here."

Not-Sam began to take a step forward, stopping when Sam pulled a knife deftly from his pocket. It glinted in the rain, sharp and dangerous.

"Oh hey, let's not get too serious." Not-Sam said quickly, backing up only one step. "You'd only be harming yourself, anyways."

"Very funny." Sam grit out, face murderous. "Answer him. Now."

"Fine." Not-Sam sighed. "I'm here because I've had the fortune of making a very fun bet including the two of you. Sam and I, we haven't had one in a couple hundred years, and I get bored. Ya know?"

"I don't bet." Sam said firmly, but there was a note of confusion in his voice.

The other Sam waved his hands at him. "Oh no, I get that. I made a bet with a different Sam. You see, he's betting for you. He even cheated a little, the sneaky bastard."

"Cheated?" Dean asked, confused.

Not-Sam raised an eyebrow. "You're saying you don't remember your little soirée in the world of your creation? I'm pretty sure you should, honey."

Sam turned to him. "What the hell is he talking about, Dean?"

Dean swallowed nervously, remembering the dream in small clips. His eyes widened as the full implications hit him.

_"Give Sam my message, alright?" The taller man pleaded, eyes deep and pained. Even his smile seemed strained. "Tell him to look for the blade where the river starts. It's all I can give you."_

"He gave us info. Info you don't want us to have." He surmised, turning to look back at Not-Sam.

The other Sam sighed dramatically. "Yeah. In my own defense I _was_ going to help you a little bit. Have to keep the bet even."

Sam growled at him. "And what's the bet, you sick fuck?"

"Oh hey, let's lay off the nicknames, huh?" Not-Sam said, mouth curling. "All you have to do is get off the mountain by sunrise. No big deal, right?"

Sam narrowed his eyes, waiting.

"Oh, you know me so well!" Not-Sam said, cracking after only a few moments of silence. "There's not a lot more, except for the fact that you," He pointed at Sam. "Are down, like, three-fourths of your memories, and you," He pointed at Dean. "Are still disgustingly mortal. And, of course, I get free rein on all the animals and the weather. But it's not really all that bad, I swear."

"What do you mean I'm missing memories?" Sam asked angrily, taking a step forward. "Who ARE you?"

"Look, I'm being nice here." Not-Sam said. "Y'all screwed up the first time, so I gave you a do-over on my own terms. Not my fault you're so weak." He said, pointing at Sam. "Really disappointing after all these years, you know? I would've expected more from you."

Lightning cracked across the sky, flashing behind the trees. It made them look eerily skeletal and even more uninviting. The other Sam blinked up at, rolling his eyes.

"I'm coming!" He shouted at the sky, tipping his face up to the clouds. "I think that's my cue. I wish you boys the best of luck, and all that. Not really."

With that he disappeared, thunder booming a second later.

"What the hell?" Dean shouted, staring at the place the man had been three seconds ago. He paced around the spot furiously, unable to believe what he'd seen. The skies opened up a moment later, adding to the clusterfuck that was already pretty shitty.

"You think he's telling the truth?" He asked the taller man when the rain started, feeling numb as it poured down. The guide sheathed his knife, before shrugging lightly. Dean could see the worry in his eyes, though, and knew it was mirrored in his own. "Only one way to find out."

"And that is?"

The guide pointed. "Bridge's our first try, I guess. If he's really serious, it'll be gone, I guess."

Lightning flashed again and Dean flinched, turning his eyes away from the sky. Moving was beginning to sound like a better idea.

* * *

"You rang?"

The shadow man opened the door to the observation room irritably; throwing it back so harshly it cracked the wall behind it. Samuel sat in the center of the room, face serene as he gazed through the large window.

"How's watching going?" The shadow man asked bitterly. He didn't sit.

"Fine." Sam said softly a second later, eyes tracking every move down in the forest. "Though I have to say these are a bit much." He raised his hands, silver glinting as the shackles clinked against each other.

"You seem pretty sure they're gonna win." The shadow man stated. "Pretty cocky."

Sam shrugged, the human gesture out of place in his normal demeanor. The shadow man grinned at the uncomfortable gesture.

"Even mortal, I know that forest like the back of my hand." Sam said firmly. "Dean's no pushover either, you'll have to admit."

"What I'm admitting is that you're a cheater." The shadow man bit out, furious. He felt like a child throwing a tantrum, but in all honesty, the fact that Sam had been so sneaky surprised him.

Sam stayed silent, but a small,_ infuriating _smile curved his lips.

"I would've told them about the blade eventually." He said defensively, crossing his arms. "I'm not that bad, really."

Sam kept his gaze on the window. "No, you would've told them about it when they were halfway down the mountain and too exhausted to do anything about it. Don't tell lies."

The shadow man crossed the room, sitting next to Sam and kicking his feet up. Sam stiffened as he brushed against him, but made no other move. He looked into the shackled man's eyes, searching. He sighed at what he found there.

"You actually think they're going to make it." He said in disbelief, shaking his head. "How cute."

Mortal Sam and the human Dean Winchester were just nearing the bridge when the shadow man looked out the window. He flicked a hand and the thing collapsed, falling in pieces to the roaring river below. "Whoops."

Sam, however, looked nonplussed. "They'll make it. Mark my words."

The other man chuckled, throwing his head back. "I'm marking your soul, remember?"

Sam started a little as Dean tripped through the window, leaning forward as far as the shackles would let him. The shadow man hissed, yanking him back.

"We still haven't talked about cheating, huh Sammy?" He asked slowly, drawing a knife from his pocket. He laid it against the other man's throat. "Two words for you, hon."

"Don't do it."

Sam shrugged again, eyeing the blade. "I didn't break any rules."

The shadow man gave him a small grin before reaching back and slamming the blade between Sam's ribs. The other man arched off the couch, soundless scream escaping his lips.

"No more interfering." The shadow man said, wiping the blood off of the knife with Sam's shirt. He stood, exiting the room quickly as Sam bled out slowly, hand clasped around the wound.

He would heal, and maybe that was the worst part.

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A/N Review?


	10. Chapter 10

A/N Another update, mostly cause ffnet crashed after I updated two days ago and you know how that is. Thanks to LeeMarieJack, Stryder2008, Hanakasama and my beta for not letting me go hide in a corner.

Sadly, this is my last post for a while. I am going out of town for three weeks and will have little to no internet access if any. You can imagine how sad that makes me :(

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_The shadow man opened the door to the observation room irritably; throwing it back so harshly it cracked the wall behind it. Samuel sat in the center of the room, face serene as he gazed through the large window._

_"How's watching going?" The shadow man asked bitterly. He didn't sit._

_"Fine." Sam said softly a second later, eyes tracking every move down in the forest. "Though I have to say these are a bit much." He raised his hands, silver glinting as the shackles clinked against each other._

_"You seem pretty sure they're gonna win." The shadow man stated. "Pretty cocky."_

_Sam shrugged, the human gesture out of place in his normal demeanor. The shadow man grinned at the uncomfortable gesture._

_"Even mortal, I know that forest like the back of my hand." Sam said firmly. "Dean's no pushover either, you'll have to admit."_

_"What I'm admitting is that you're a cheater." The shadow man bit out, furious. He felt like a child throwing a tantrum, but in all honesty, the fact that Sam had been so sneaky surprised him._

_Sam stayed silent, but a small, infuriating smile curved his lips._

_"I would've told them about the blade eventually." He said defensively, crossing his arms. "I'm not that bad, really."_

_Sam kept his gaze on the window. "No, you would've told them about it when they were halfway down the mountain and too exhausted to do anything about it. Don't tell lies."_

_The shadow man crossed the room, sitting next to Sam and kicking his feet up. Sam stiffened as he brushed against him, but made no other move. He looked into the shackled man's eyes, searching. He sighed at what he found there._

_"You actually think they're going to make it." He said in disbelief, shaking his head. "How cute."_

_Mortal Sam and the human Dean Winchester were just nearing the bridge when the shadow man looked out the window. He flicked a hand and the thing collapsed, falling in pieces to the roaring river below. "Whoops."_

_Sam, however, looked nonplussed. "They'll make it. Mark my words."_

* * *

The rain was starting to come down hard, sheets and sheets of it pounding Dean as he half walked half ran next to Sam. The bridge was only about a quarter like away now, visible through the edge of the trees to their right. They both silently picked up their pace, jogging through the trees towards the sound of the river roaring ahead.

Dean felt a wave of dizziness and nausea pass through him at the sight of the river. It was even more swollen than before, flowing swiftly a few hundred feet down. Sam slowed to a walk, eyes widening as they neared the bridge.

Gramm river had expanded, overflowing onto banks that normally never saw water. Bits of trees littered the fast-moving waters, debris still falling.

"I've never seen it like this!" Sam said over the noise of the river after a moment, eyes still locked on the river. Dean didn't respond, already carefully accounting the bridge.

"It can't be that easy, can it?" He said more to himself than Sam. The bridge was still in one piece, untouched by the waters or winds. Even the supports still looked intact, which surprised Dean.

"You think I..._he._..did something to it?" Sam asked, shoulder brushing against his as he shifted towards Dean.

"I think it's too early to make assumptions." Dean said, starting forward. "C'mon, we gotta go try it."

"Aren't you afraid of heights?" Sam said, frowning as he jogged to keep in step with him. Dean flinched, glaring at him.

"How the hell do you know that?" He said angrily, clenching his fists with every step he took closer to the edge of the river. Sam frowned again, looking at Dean with an unreadable expression.

"I don't know." He said softly a second later. "I just sort of...knew." He looked a little dumbfounded, slanted eyes staring down at Dean in honest confusion. The guide shook his head, turning and facing the bridge.

Dean had barely put his foot within five feet of the bridge when he felt a tremor vibrate through the ground below him. He flung himself back, taking Sam down with him as the bridge collapsed.

The supports and guide wires snapped, falling into the river below with an enormous crash. It sounded almost like thunder, echoing against the mountain walls as the whole structure folded in on itself.

That was _not_ natural.

Beneath him, Sam was breathing fast, glancing at where the bridge had been with a pale face. Dean just let himself rest there, adrenaline and shock coursing through him.

"Yeah, next time we won't take the bridge." Sam breathed out a second later, chest rising and falling quickly. Dean brushed himself off and sat back on his heels, eyes wide.

"How are we supposed to get off here then?" He asked the guide. "Isn't there another bridge or something?"

Sam shook his head, wet hair flying. "No. I can't think of any other way out...this is all so messed up." He said, putting a hand to his head. A second later he sprang up, eyes wild.

"What did he mean when he said I..Sam had been cheating?" The taller man asked excitedly. "You said something about info. What did that mean?"

Dean frowned. "He gave me a message to tell you. Something about finding the blade where the river started, whatever that means."

"Blade?" Sam asked curiously, eyes widening. "Did he say which kind?"

"That means something to you?" Dean asked in disbelief, rocking back on his heels. "I don't think a sword or whatever's gonna help up get off this stupid ass mountain."

Sam seemed to deflate a little. "You're right." He admitted. "But I don't know why Sam would tell us that if it wasn't important." He shook his head. "That's still so weird."

Dean cracked a bitter grin. "Talking in the third person was how my uncle went crazy, too." He said with a small chuckle. Standing, he brushed off the clumps of earth and grass still stuck to him. "Lord knows it was probably more fun than this."

Sam shook his head with a small smile of his own, standing. "This is just so fucked up all of a sudden. What are we even gonna do?"

Dean opened his mouth to speak when something shifted under his feet. His heart leapt in fear as another tremor rocked the ground, cutting whatever thought he was going to say off. The rocks broke off underneath his feet, breaking apart and tumbling towards the river below him. This time however, he didn't have enough time to react and tripped over the rolling side of the cliff, throwing his hands out in vain to catch something.

"Dean!" Sam shouted from above him, flinging a hand out lightning-quick. Dean gasped as it clenched his wrist painfully, iron-strong. His whole body stretched as Sam held him to the side of the cliff, muscles burning.

"Hold on!" Sam said, face twisting as he grabbed Dean's wrist with his other arm, interlocking their hands. He made the mistake of looking down, stomach dropping as he saw the river far below him.

Oh, he shouldn't have built up this last year. The extra pounds were only working against him and Sam.

"I'm gonna pull you up." Sam said above him, voice strained. "Try to get a foothold or something to boost yourself."

"Okay." Dean grit out, but it sounded weak even to his ears.

Sam seemed to have heard it as well. "We're gonna get you up, okay Dean? You gotta trust me, okay? Stay calm."

"I am calm." Dean shot back, but he tried to focus. His feet swung wildly beneath him for a second before he found a small foothold in the rock. Pushing down slightly, he tugged a little on Sam's arm.

"Ready."

"Okay, on three? One, two…three." Sam said, pulling him up in one swift movement. Dean pushed at the same time, maneuvering himself up the side of the cliff. Sam groaned in pain above him but kept pulling, face strained. After a long moment of pulling he found himself about halfway up, balancing precariously.

"Sam!" He shouted in half fear and half warning. The other man pulled harder and tugged Dean backwards, gathering him tight until they were safe.

"Oh my god." Dean breathed, heart racing wildly. If he never had a near-death experience again, it would be too soon. He wrapped his arms a little bit tighter around Sam, feeling a little ridiculous but mostly very, very grateful.

"Let's not do that again." Sam murmured into his hair a moment later. As one they stood, disengaging and backing up a few steps to be sure.

"So, not that way." Dean said, trying to sound flippant. "Do you think your radio works?"

Sam looked at him quizzically. "What, so we could call a helicopter or something?" He shook his head. "If the bridge didn't work, what says that will? I mean," He trailed off, gesturing wildly at the gaping river. "How do we know if this is even…real? What if everything is being controlled by him?"

Dean narrowed his eyes. "We need to try. There's nothing else we can do but that, and I'm gonna get us off this mountain, I swear."

Sam stared at him, eyes almost sad as he spoke. "I know you will." He paused. "Fine, we'll try, but even the rain might knock it out before he could." He started walking back to the field. Dean rolled his still-burning shoulders and tried to gear himself up for the mile-long walk ahead.

* * *

The radio didn't work, which while not being a humongous surprise, was still disheartening. No matter how many frequencies Sam tried, nothing but static returned. He fiddled with it for a good ten minutes, trying every line and frequency both of them could think of.

They both studiously ignored Susan's body still lying in the center of the field. If Dean caught a small flash of red in the corner of his eye, he didn't acknowledge it. He knew Sam was doing the same, turning to him only so his back was facing her.

When they finally gave up, Sam ran around to the back of the truck and grabbed a small box. Inside was a wilderness survival kit, complete with flashlights, matches, and the works. He wordlessly handed Dean a granola bar sitting down on the bumper to eat his own.

"We need to find that blade." The guide said a few moments later, breaking the tentative silence. "I keep thinking about it..I'm pretty sure it's important. I just don't know _why_."

He looked frustrated and more than a little strung out, still rubbing his shoulders when he thought Dean wouldn't notice.

"Then that's what we do." Dean said, finishing his granola bar and standing up.

Sam eyed him in disbelief. "Why?" He asked, unfolding his long frame in one movement as he stood up. "It's not a way out at all. It's in the opposite direction, actually!"

Dean raised an eyebrow. "So you _do_ know what he meant." He stated. Sam flinched, turning away.

"This blade, it's a sort of Native American legend. A lot of the tribes always said it was lost around here, but no one's ever found it. The metal was supposed to be powerful and lent magic to whoever used it."

"Do you know where it is?" Dean questioned seriously, leaning forward a little. Sam met his eyes, hazel burning into his.

"God, I want to say no." He said desperately. "But I do. I don't know how, but I do. There was a river a long time ago that flowed down from the mountain and joined up with Gramm River at the bottom. It dried up a few decades ago, though, and not a lot of people know it ever existed."

"Sam—you—said the blade was where the river starts. Why would he be talking about a dead river?" Dean pointed out, thinking hard. Another crack of thunder echoed across the field, but he didn't flinch.

"I don't know." Sam said, running a hand back through his hair. "But we need to find that knife if we want off this mountain. That's all I know."

Dean grabbed a backpack from inside the trunk and threw the survival kit in, looking at Sam a second later. "Anything else you think we'll need?" He questioned.

"Map." Sam said softly, walking around to the passenger door and grabbing one from the glovebox. Dean didn't miss the way he angled his body away from the field, shoulders tensing.

"Good." Dean said, hoisting the bag onto his back once Sam had added the map, not even offering for the other man to carry it. The guide was still rubbing his shoulders periodically, and Dean wouldn't have been surprised if he'd pulled something.

They walked out of the field quickly, each eager to get away and on their journey. Surprisingly, it almost got boring.

"So, tell me about yourself Dean Winchester." Sam said as they were hiking around a fallen oak tree, giving him a small smile. "What brings you to places like these?"

Dean smirked at his bitter humor, focusing on the ground in front of him. "Well, you know I'm an architect."

"An architect with a fear of heights." Sam added with a smile.

"That too. No, I grew up in Kansas. I have a little brother named Adam, great parents. The works. I started working with my company a few years ago, and it's been great."

"Up until now." Sam added with a wry smile, nudging him with his shoulder. Dean nearly slipped, Armani shoes not exactly possessing a lot of traction, but it was worth the smile on Sam's face.

"What about you?" He asked politely, sneaking a glance at Sam as they rounded another felled tree. Well fitting jeans, boots, dark hair. The knife was still in its sheath, which Dean didn't think was slightly sexy at all.

Nope.

"I'm not sure." Sam said cryptically, voice muffled a little by the wind. "I grew up nearby. Practically lived here on this mountain my whole life."

"Any parents? Siblings?"

Sam shook his head, staying oddly silent. Dean decided to drop the question, aiming his gaze forward instead of at his feet for a second.

"How much longer do you think we have?"

Sam broke into a fit of laughter, voice booming off the trees as he stopped where he'd been walking. He was still chuckling when Dean almost ran into him.

"This is a three or four hour hike, Deano." Sam said, eyes glinting. "It's gonna be a while."

"I'd like to see you try and walk in dress shoes." Dean muttered just loud enough for Sam to hear him. A small snort echoed back to him a second later.

"Should've dressed for the weather, architect boy." Sam drawled, grinning slightly as the rain poured down around him. Dean nearly stopped for a second at the sight of it, Sam's smile lighting up the bleak forest like a flame. There was still tightness around his eyes, but the smile was honest.

"Well, sorry." Dean bantered back, smiling in spite of himself. "I'll schedule my demonic bets a little differently next time, no worries."

Sam snorted even louder at that. "This is just so surreal. You really think he's a demon?"

Dean shrugged. "I don't know what to think."

"Do you think he's really…me?" Sam asked somewhat tentatively, trying to play it cool. Dean felt a pang of sympathy for the kid. This had to be freaking him out.

"I don't know either. But I do know we need to pick up the pace. The radio on the way up said the radar was swamped."

Sam nodded, eyes turning melancholy. Dean felt terrible for ruining the light mood, however forced it had been. He sped up, walking next to Sam as the path widened.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

After about thirty minutes of walking in near silence, Sam stopped suddenly. Dean almost ran into him, opening his mouth to swear loudly when Sam turned and put a hand to his lips. He frowned as the guide leaned forward, eyes dancing across the forest line quickly. A second later, Dean heard it.

Something was growling and barking nearby, close enough to be heard but far enough for the sound to echo. Dean's eyes widened at the vicious sounds, harsher than any dog could produce.

"What is that?" He whispered to Sam, trying not to move. The other man shook his head.

The barks sounded again, incredibly close. Sam's eyes widened and he grabbed Dean's shoulder and yanked him forwards, sprinting. Dean stumbled along in a panic, heart rate rising with each bark.

"Shit. Shit!" Sam said as the barks got impossibly closer to them, leading them down the path at breakneck speeds. The animals were getting closer, baying and growling so loudly Dean's ears rang. Suddenly he felt a vicious yank on his pants leg and he went down, sliding out of Sam's arms.

"Dean!" Sam yelled, turning around. He took out his knife as a dark shape leapt out at him, slashing at it expertly. The shape_ rippled, _sliding around the knife like oil.

Dean jabbed down at whatever had his leg with a harsh kick, but it went right through it. He could feel its teeth in the fabric, but it seemed to be amorphous. His heart raced as his panic increased.

"Dean!" Sam screamed one last time, and a white light flashed through the forest, burning through the shadow creatures. Breathing heavily, he looked up to see an empty forest floor.

"Sam?" He asked weakly, ears ringing. Standing up, he blinked in confusion as Sam didn't respond.

The guide gave him a small smile before crumpling, body going limp as he fell to the forest floor. Dean rushed forward, ankle be damned. He barely made it in time, catching Sam's head and cradling it as the taller man fell unconscious.

"SAM!"

* * *

A/N And with that cliffie, I'm gone for three weeks! Don't forget to leave a review and DFTBA!


	11. Chapter 11

A/N Hello all! This longer chapter is coming to you from the middle of nowhere where I fortunately have wifi. Many thanks to my beta who pushed me to get this chapter out and to LeeMarieJack who takes the time out of her day to get this new part published. Thank you, and please enjoy and review!:)

* * *

Sam wakes to the feeling of someone's eyes on him, which is never a good sign.

A quick subtle shifting of his body reveals he isn't tied down, but he keeps his eyes closed and doesn't move past that. He's about to start trying to figure out a way to escape when someone chuckles above him, voice sounding eerily familiar.

"You're real cute, anyone ever tell you that?"

Sam takes that as his cue to sit up and open his eyes, momentarily blinded by a multitude of white light. He's barely able to make out the bed beneath his fingers much less the far wall as he blinks furiously. By the time his vision clears, he isn't ready for what he finds in front of him.

It's like staring into a mirror, truthfully, except this Sam looks fuller, brighter and happier. His hair and eyes glow as he gives Sam a small, blinding smile, multicolor eyes offering a hint of mischief. Simple white clothing reflects in the light that seems to be coming from more than one source. Sam shakes his head and blinks half a dozen times, bewildered and on the edge of a very rational freak out.

After about ten seconds of this, Sam decides that whatever acid trip he's currently on is apparently a really bad one that isn't going to go away anytime soon an settles other Sam hadn't moved, still staring at him with something akin to amusement.

"Can I help you?" He asks, flabbergasted that he's apparently talking to himself but annoyed all the same. It's rude to stare.

The doppelgänger's smile widens and he ducks his head as he laughs slightly. "Yeah, you can actually. But you probably have a lot of questions, right?"

Sam nods sarcastically, feeling a eve of irritation. "Uh huh. For starters, what the _fuck_?"

"It's a really long story." The other man sighs, rolling his shoulders back. "One that, sadly, we don't have time for. You're going to wake up soon."

"I'm not asleep right-"

Other Sam interrupts. "I've had this conversation with Dean already. You're unconscious right now."

Sam's breath catches and he twists around on the bed, struggling to his feet. "Is he okay? Those dogs didn't get him?" Shadowy figures are all he can remember of the attack, that and how scared he was for Dean. That dog had had its claws around his leg...

"No, they didn't." Other Sam reassures him. "He's perfectly okay, save the heart attack I think we're giving him right now."

Sam takes a deep breath, trying to comprehend his words. "Okay...okay. So, what am I doing here then?"

"Talking to me."

He blinks at the quirked eyebrow his twin gives him."I got that, smartass."

Sam finds himself smiling as the other man flashes him a grin. He hadn't seen that kind of smile on his face in years, and it was almost impossible to think he'd ever looked that happy. He pushed that thought aside and listened as his twin spoke.

"You're here because, in essence, you're my avatar in the big, bloated video game that nobody ever wanted to buy."

Sam frowns. "Avatar?"

The other man nods. "That's why you come here when you're...incapacitated, like to like and all. You won't really remember any of this either, by the way."

"So that's what the other me-us-was talking about me being human. I'm...you."

The other Sam smiles sadly. "Yes."

"Great." He says, then pauses."You said Dean had a conversation like this too." he states suspiciously, wary of the other man's open features and almost wry smile.

"Quick on the uptake, aren't ya?" Other Sam shifts on the bed a little, the first uncomfortable gesture Sam has seen. "Yeah, Dean's been up here too. Talking battle plans mostly."

"Battle plans?"

The other man gestures vaguely at the blank wall to the right. "For getting off the mountain and staying alive. He told you about the blade, right?"

"Yeah, but-and no offense-some knife isn't gonna help us get off a mountain, especially when it's in the opposite direction of, you know, _down_."

Sam pauses, breathing heavily as the other man watches. "And why am I unconscious in the first place? This just is a really long, intense dream, right? This is how I cope with a crisis? Pretty imaginative..."

He trails off and tries not to be annoyed by the understanding, nearly pitying look on his twin's face, but it's really, really hard. Sam hates not holding all of the cards in any situation.

"The blade's important because it's the key to getting off the mountain." Other Sam says, giving up an actual chunk of information for once. He tilts his head."Without it, you'd lose. Dean's survival depends on it."

"But not mine-ours." Sam stammers. "Just Dean's?"

The other man nods slowly, a sad smile gracing his features. "Just Dean's."

They sit in silence for a moment, both Sams gazing at their hands. Other Sam taps him once on the hand before the whole room seems to shudder, twisting in and around itself as cracks spread across the walls. Sam turns to himself in confusion, only to be greeted by a grimace.

"You're waking up. Time to go." Is all he says, patting Sam on the shoulder. There's a strange sort of comradeship in this moment, and for a second Sam sees beneath the white clothes-beneath the smile and the peace and sees-

bloody chains wrap around Other Sam's wrists, hands resting just below a vicious stab wound on his right torso. Bruises litter his face and neck, twisting up his oddly fragile collarbone. He can see it all now-what he has to do, what _they _need to do, and Sam makes a strangled noise of surprise in the back of his throat as his doppelgänger gives him a bloody smile-

"SAM!"

* * *

The shadow man had just turned to exit when a wave of cool power swept through him an he feels Sam's human presence briefly before it leaves. He snarles and turns to where Samuel was sitting on the couch, still bound in chains. Instant suspicion ran through him, along with the intense urge to run the Highness through with his sharpest blade. _No one _fooled him twice, and the audacity of Samuel attempting something like this while he was still in the room was beyond infuriating.

"Oh, Samuel?" He growled cheerfully as his knife was pulled free from his boot. The other man's blood still stained the sides a rusty color and threw the most delicious smell into the air when it was revealed. Placing it against his King's throat, he smiles as the blade digs into the smooth skin.

Samuel, however, looked nonplussed. "What?"

He asks it softly, eyes never leaving the window. The stab wound from earlier was still bleeding, like the shadow man knew it would. He'd bleed Samuel out forever if he had the chance. Instead, he threw a charming smile towards his doppelganger, adopting a bubbly tone.

"How many times do we have to go over this, hmm? No cheating, darling. Makes the game less fun." He runs a hand up his Samuel's face, stroking it.

"Oh. _Ohhhh_." Samuel tilted his head to send a bitter smile his way. The shadow man narrowed his eyes at the belligerence in his tone. "You think _I_ did this."

"Don't play stupid."

Samuel's smile widened, and the urge to cut that smile apart had never been this strong. He pushed down on the knife, feeling a wave of satisfaction pass over him as it dug into the man's neck. Fresh blood appeared, giving way to new wounds that wouldn't close until he allowed them to.

"I had nothing to do with this at all." The man admitted, eyes wide as he waved a shackled hand towards the window. The other man almost seemed regretful. "Kinda wish I did, though. You look a little..." He eyes him up and down. "Flustered."

Not-Sam bared his teeth, twisting Sam's borrowed features to the point of being unrecognizable. He leaned in, forcing Samuel's face to his with a strong grip on his jaw. "Lies."

"Give me some credit here." Samuel looked unruffled, corners of his mouth turning up even as blood ran down his neck in thick streams. "You know my voluntary powers are depleted with you nearby. I'd at least wait till you left the room to try something, especially if I knew it'd piss you off this much. Sam came here because he's a part of me—that's what happens when he gets knocked out."

The shadow man snarled again, using his free hand to dig into the wound on Samuel's side until the other man ached off the couch.

"How about _you_ give me one reason why I shouldn't kill Dean right here and now." He threatened, savoring the flash of pain and fear he saw in the other man's eyes.

"Anyone…ever tell you…you're a little...melodramatic?" Samuel breathed out around the pain, fists clenching around the arms of the couch. "This wasn't me, you bastard. I swear."

Something in Samuel's eyes made him pause, pulling the knife back. He played with the knife, trying to look uninterested.

"Then who was it?"

Sam looked at him, mouth set seriously."Fate."

The shadow man snorted, throwing his head back as he dissolved into a fit of laughter. "Fate?"

"It's my best guess." Samuel admitted, shrugging. "Maybe Dean is important enough that I—Sam- unlocked some dormant powers."

"You're kidding, right?" The shadow man asked dubiously as he brushed away tears of laughter. Samuel threw him a serious look that caused him to break out into more chuckles. "Oh, you're not. Gosh, I'm sorry. I'll try something else, then. Dogs were pretty easy anyways. Whattya think?"

Samuel narrowed his eyes at him before returning to his watching, face impassive. The open threat hung in the air between them. After a second, he got off the couch in one flourish, bowing mockingly to Samuel before exiting.

"Your Highness."

The King looked on, eyes glued to the window and serene in his chains. The shadow man steeled himself as he closed the door and began plotting. Inside the room, Samuel collapsed, the back of his head resting against the couch as all of the energy he'd mustered left him in one rush. He was lucky Sam hadn't seen more than a flash of what he really looked like presently-it felt even worse than it looked. Every blow Sam took hurt him like a phantom injury, adding to the stab wound and bruised, split skin. Nevertheless, he steeled himself and tried to find his center.

"Hurry, Dean."

* * *

"SAM!"

Dean's heart's in his throat as he scrambles forward, catching Sam's head right before it hit the ground. Blood coats nearly half of the other man's face by the time he tilts it toward him, gushing from his eyes and nose like some B+ horror movie effect. The sight of it makes Dean feel nauseous but he wipes it away without thinking, eyes moving frantically across the taller man's body.

Sam twitches under him and Dean flinches, tilting his head when he sees Sam's eyes still clenched closed. They start to move quickly under his eyelids, shifting back and forth like he was in the throes of a nightmare.

He ventures a quick "Sam?", but the other man's still unconscious in his hands. Dean pushes back Sam's hair, hating the meaningless gesture. A moment later, Sam flinches again and he breaths a sigh of relief as the taller man's eyes flash open.

"Jesus Christ." Dean breaths, feeling the adrenaline flee his body in one rush. "You alright?"

"I think so." Sam says through the bloody nose, pinching the bridge as he leans easily back into Dean's embrace. Unthinkingly, he leans forward in return, resting his forehead against Sam's. They stay like that for a moment, both men breathing heavily.

Eventually, Sam groans and works himself back up to a sitting position, sending Dean a grateful glance (and not bringing up his moment of chick-flickness, thank god) as he does. The blood seems to have tapered off, but there's a weary look to Sam that makes Dean think it wasn't just that easy. Dean rips the edge of his coat and wipes the remaininf blood underneath Sam's eyes away. He shudders as it leaves ghoul-like marks in its wake, trailing down the other man's cheeks.

"What about you?" Sam asks as he wipes the blood off his hands, eyes flicking up and down Dean's body. "They get you at all?"

"Just my leg a bit, but we gotta get moving soon, if you're up to it." He grits his teeth as the slash marks in his ankle flare as the adrenaline leaves his system. Sam gives him a strange look but nods, pushing to his feet. His tone is completely no nonsense as the incidence is brushed off with barely a metaphorical widening of the eyes.

"I am. How much time do we have left?"

Dean's not bringing up his dramatic fainting episode out of pure politeness, but they'll have to talk about it eventually. Checking his watch, he frowns and double takes a few times. Sam raises an eyebrow at him, so he shakes his wrist at the other man.

"Dunno. Watches stopped."

Sam raises both eyebrows this time. "You're kidding."

Dean throws his hands up, feeling slightly off-kilter. "Hey, your mountain, not mine."

Sam sends him a glare, but it's got something akin to amusement in it. "Let's get moving, smartass. I wanna beat the storms."

"What storms?" Dean asks, looking at Sam in confusion. He lets out a groan as the first raindrop smacks him in the middle of the forehead. Sam grins at him, pointing up.

"Those storms."

* * *

"I mean, it's not even like I was a bad person before this either." Dean says an hour later as he and Sam stumble over the millionth wet, muddy section of path on the mountain. "I didn't do drugs, don't have any secrets that needed unearthing. Didn't kill anyone for the mafia when I was younger." He curses under his breath as he nearly slips again.

Sam laughs ahead of him, cheerful despite the rain (and Dean's sour mood). "No stalkers or bitter exes?"

Dean frowns slightly at the question, but tries to keep his tone neutral. "Nope. Nobody like that in a while." He finally says, throwing a hand out as Sam slips on the yet another muddy patch. "Watch it."

"Thanks." Sam murmurs, sending him a quick smile as they lock eyes before he starts climbing again. For some reason Dean blushes, which is wholly inappropriate and terribly timed at best. The other man looks strangely flushed, wet hair hanging around his face.

"So if you could be climbing up a mountain to find a magic blade with anyone else, who would you choose?" Dean muses a moment later, pushing water off his face as the relentless rain pours down between the trees above them. "Penelope Cruz? Scarlett Johansen? Maybe Sandra Bullock?"

Sam snorted ahead of him, amusedly shaking his head. "If I had my way, I wouldn't be hiking up this mountain at all."

Dean frowned, confused. "But I thought you loved the mountain. You grew up here."

"I do." Sam said with finality, shoulders tensing before relaxing. Dean felt the sudden urge to reach out and face the other man, to see what emotion Sam seemed to be hiding.

He broke the silence a few moments later. "Where are we?"

Sam pauses, looking up and to the sides of the forest. He grabbed the map from the side pocket of the backpack Dean was still wearing and unfolded it, eyes flicking back and forth between the mountain and the paper.

"About a third, maybe half of the way up."

Dean groaned, rubbing a hand over his eyes. They'd been hiking for what felt like hours, but they still didn't seem to have been making progress.

"Don't you think it's weird?" Sam mumbled a second later, rubbing his face as well. Dean raises an eyebrow as the taller man nearly stumbles, throwing a cautionary hand out.

"What?"

"We should be closer to the top right now, or at least a lot closer. When the dogs caught us, we were about halfway, maybe a little less. Pretty much where we are right now."

Dean frowned. "You're saying we haven't been moving fast enough for the last two hours?"

Sam looked out at the forest. "Well, I'm saying I don't think we've moved at all."

A feeling of exhaustion pulled on Dean, and he swayed on his feet. "Do you think he-you-is doing this? Like some sort of...time loop?"

Sam yawned wide, jaw cracking as he turned back to Dean. "I don't...know. Probably..." He cut off, yawning hugely again. "I feel really tired all of a sudden. Dean..."

Dean yawned himself as the taller man sank to his knees, exhaustion pulling him down to the damp forest floor. Dean felt another wave of whatever it was and shook his head. His vision was getting increasingly blurry and he could barely feel his legs as they folded to the ground below.

"Sam..." He murmured, shaking his head. He blinked furiously for a few seconds, staggering to his feet.

The entire path was lit up, shimmering a deep green. Trees curved down like shadows above him, edges tinted the same sickly green. Dean felt a spark of determination well up in him as he saw the green taper off to the sides of the path, fading into a deep black down the sides.

"Sam..." He said again, stumbling to where the other man had crumpled to the ground. He shook the guide's shoulder with all of the strength he possessed, trying to pull Sam to his feet.

"Sam!" He screamed as the urge to curl up increased. Dean fought with everything he had against it, pulling Sam up in a superhuman display of power and shoving them off the path. Dean had barely enough strength to cling to the taller man as they tumbled and everything went dark.

* * *

A/N Leave me a review?:)


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